If you check in early and arrive at the gate with plenty of time, you'll have done everything right. But then the airline threw us a curveball and announced that the flight was overbooked. Gate staff will ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for boarding passengers. Then they stopped asking and started taking passengers off the plane. And they may call your name.
Although this situation can be very inconvenient, it is completely legal. Airlines are allowed to oversell flights, and this is done to compensate for no-shows and maximize revenue. Another reason to hit a passenger? Switching an aircraft to a smaller aircraft with fewer seats for reasons such as weight restrictions or maintenance issues.
Is there any good news from this bad situation? Passengers can generally expect to be compensated at very attractive amounts in the event of a voluntary or involuntary collision.
First, know what rights you have.
An airline's terms of carriage, a document that outlines what the airline expects and owes its passengers, typically found online, can be found online, but airlines may not be able to determine whether passengers in a collision are voluntary or involuntary. Regardless of the situation, the airline plans to rebook for a later flight. The rebooked flight may be on a different airline and there are no requirements regarding the departure time of the second flight. For example, Delta Air Lines states in its contract of carriage that passengers will be placed on the “next available flight.”
The Department of Transportation requires compensation for this inconvenience, but it is up to airlines to decide how much and in what form. The most frequent offers are cash, airline ticket credits, or vouchers.
Passengers usually don't get hit after boarding the plane. (The DOT says there are some exceptions, such as unruly behavior on board.)
Volunteers must negotiate compensation. Payments may not be the same for all travelers.
There is no limit to the amount of compensation that can be offered to volunteers, and gate agents often increase the amount to attract passengers, who can then negotiate for more. Passengers have reported compensation reaching thousands of dollars, in some cases exceeding the original ticket fare.
Agents recruit volunteers at airport intercoms, or passengers confirm offers through the airline's app or text message in the app.
Airline analysts and former American Airlines executive Robert Mann said that airlines typically accept offers that are lower than public bargaining for some passengers. He prefers an accepting and private approach. Infrequent customers tend to be contacted first, he added.
Katie Nastro, an expert with travel app Going, said airlines don't have to pay all volunteers the same.
According to the Department of Transport, compensation must be collected at the airport or sent within 24 hours. Checks can also be mailed or the ticket can be deposited into the passenger's airline account.
Compensation may be more than money or a plane ticket.
In particularly desperate scenarios, airlines may negotiate additional benefits beyond the flight, such as business class seats, non-stop flights, meals, accommodations and lounge access, Nastro added.
“In accordance with DOT regulations, there is no limit to the voluntary amount,” she said. “The sky is the limit there.”
Not enough volunteers? When this happens, the transportation company will inadvertently bump into the passenger.
Sally French, a travel expert at personal finance company NerdWallet, said the first passengers you run into tend to be the ones who checked in last.
Airlines provide further details on how to respond to denied boarding in their conditions of carriage. Airlines typically prioritize unaccompanied minors, passengers with elite mileage status or premium cabins, and passengers with special needs on flights with overbooked seats.
There is a minimum compensation amount for unintentional collisions.
In most cases, passengers who are inadvertently hit can receive compensation. This is according to DOT regulations so you can see if it's your preference.
For flights departing within the U.S. or from the U.S. internationally, the amount a passenger receives depends on factors such as the price of the ticket, the length of the delay, and whether the flight is domestic or international, according to the DOT.
DOT publishes minimum payments on its website, but airlines may pay more. As an example, if a domestic rebooked traveler arrives within one to two hours of the original itinerary, the airline must pay 200 percent of the passenger's one-way fare or $775, whichever is less. No.
If a traveler involved in a collision on a rebooked domestic flight arrives at their destination more than two hours later than their original itinerary, the airline can pay up to 400% of the passenger's one-way fare, or $1,550, whichever is less. There is sex.
Situations may arise where no compensation is provided.
Passengers who are unintentionally denied boarding should not expect compensation if they miss their flight's check-in deadline or if they arrive on a replacement flight after a collision within one hour of their originally scheduled time.
Additionally, passengers who are involved in a collision because the airline changes their flight to a smaller aircraft should not expect compensation.
The DOT says passengers will not be compensated if they are denied boarding on a plane with 30 to 60 seats because of weight or safety restrictions.
Charter flights and flights with fewer than 30 seats are also exempt from the DOT's compensation rules.
If you are in an accidental collision while flying into or out of the European Union with certain airlines, you may be entitled to compensation.
According to European Union regulations, passenger rights and compensation for voluntary collisions work the same way as in the United States.
Compensation for unintentional collisions depends on distance. Passengers should receive 250 euros (about $258) for flights up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles). 400 euros for flights between 1,500 kilometers and 3,500 kilometers and flights over 1,500 kilometers within Europe. 600 euros for flights over 3,500 km.
These travelers will also be eligible for assistance from airlines, such as ticket rebookings and refunds, meals, snacks and accommodation, said AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with ticket claims. said Tomáš Pauliszyn, CEO of the company.
Travelers who are denied boarding on a connecting flight due to a delay on their first flight are also entitled to compensation ranging from 125 to 300 euros, depending on distance and delay.
These rights apply to flights operated by airlines within the European Union. International flights arriving in the European Union and operated by an EU-based airline, and flights departing from the European Union to countries outside the European Union operated by any airline.
Know how to protect yourself from unwanted collisions.
Experts stress that checking in early online or through an airline's app may help you avoid being denied boarding. We also recommend attaching your frequent flyer information to your reservation if you have it.
Finally, it never hurts to get to the airport early.
For more travel advice, check out our collection of Travel 101 tips and hacks.
