If You Get Denied Boarding On An Overbooked Flight, The Airline May Owe You A Lot Of Money

From scary mid-flight chimes to seemingly endless security lines, air travel is stressful enough without the threat of getting bumped off a flight looming over your head. It's no secret that it's common practice for airlines to overbook flights to maximize revenue, so even if you book months in advance, you're still faced with the possibility of not boarding your flight. Imagine rushing and trying to navigate the busiest airport in the world, only to find out at the gate that the flight has no seats left. Sadly, this is an all too familiar scenario among travelers, and if it happens to you, you may be eligible for compensation, sometimes to the tune of thousands of dollars. However, it all depends on the situation.

You may have already heard stories of airlines offering mind-boggling amounts of money to passengers to get them to give up their seats. In 2022, Delta reportedly lured flyers with a whopping $10,000 for seat volunteers, all because it needed to free up eight spots, as detailed by tech columnist Jason Aten's account of the experience on Inc. However, the critical word here is "volunteers." According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), airlines must first ask if any travelers will willingly board a different flight. But just because you volunteered doesn't mean you'll automatically get a $10,000 offer. In fact, you may only be entitled to a hefty compensation if you get bumped against your will.

If you lost your seat through no fault of your own, there are several instances where you're entitled to monetary compensation or what the DOT calls denied boarding compensation (DBC). In fact, it's all outlined on its website. But in a nutshell, airlines in the United States are mandated by law to compensate you twice the value of your one-way fare if you get bumped and end up arriving 1-2 hours late on a domestic flight or up to 4 hours internationally, although there may be a cap of $775. If your delay surpasses those times, you can get four times your ticket price, but airlines may cap it to $1550.

To get this money, you still need to meet specific stipulations. First-time flyers making rookie mistakes, such as arriving late to the airport, can easily miss out on the chance to collect. To be eligible for compensation, you must have a confirmed reservation for that specific flight, have checked in on time per the airline's rules, and are already at the gate. If the airline manages to put you on another flight where your arrival time is only delayed by an hour or less, you're not entitled to any payment. Sorry! If the delay will cost you more than it's dangling in front of you and you want to hold it accountable, the DOT notes that you always have the option to refuse the compensation and take things to court. If you accept the offer, you may lose the chance to pursue legal action.

Eligibility for DBC doesn't guarantee receipt under certain circumstances, such as changes in aircraft, weight and balance issues, traveling on a chartered flight, or getting downgraded from a higher-class seat to a lower-class cabin, among others. But if you do meet the requirements, the DOT says that airlines must give you DBC that day or within 24 hours if your subsequent flight departs before you get to collect it.

Anton Radchenko, the CEO of claims management company AirAdvisor, told Travel + Leisure that you should claim a denied boarding form as proof that the airline involuntarily bumped you off your flight. "This form is important evidence to prove that denied boarding has actually occurred to you and impacted your travel," he explained. "Unlike other flight disruptions where other evidence can be obtained from other sources, denied boarding cannot be proved without it."

You must also be careful about accepting alternative compensation from the airline. "You're entitled to cash, so don't feel obligated to accept travel vouchers or any other alternative forms of compensation," Eric Napoli, the vice president of legal strategy at flight compensation company AirHelp, explained to Travel + Leisure. "In fact, accepting vouchers can make you ineligible for additional compensation."