When was the last time you flew with an empty seat next to you? Over the last several years, airlines tightened up their passenger capacity and more often than not, planes go out with most seats filled. With the busy summer vacation season looming near, and in light of several high-profile denied boarding situations, now is a good time to review your passenger rights in the event you get “bumped” from a flight. Here are some tips to avoid being bumped and everything you need to know about your rights if you are denied boarding.

Why Do Airlines Overbook Flights?

Airlines attempt to maximize revenue by filling all available seats. They have reduced and consolidated flights to reduce empty seats based on historical lift. They also know how many no-shows and cancellations they can expect on any given flight, on any given day. Therefore, they employ a complex, secret algorithm to calculate how much they can oversell the available seats and not create a denied boarding situation (and incur compensation costs).

Tips to Avoid Being Denied Boarding

Know that a seat assignment is not the same as a confirmed ticket. A seat assignment is a specific seat number. A confirmed ticket only means that you paid for transportation.

1. Get a seat assignment in advance. Even if it’s an undesirable seat, take it and attempt to change it at check-in. Even with a confirmed ticket, passengers without seat assignments have the same status as standbys and are likely to be the first ones bumped.
2. If you don’t have a preassigned seat, check-in online 24 hours in advance of flight. Airlines release more seat assignments after they process frequent flyer upgrades, so you may get one then.
3. If you still don’t have a seat assignment, get to the airport early. Some seat assignments are held for airport check-in. If you don’t get one of those, make sure you’re on the seat assignment standby list.

What is Voluntary Bumping?

When there aren’t enough seats for all the paid passengers, someone must be denied boarding. The Contract of Carriage stipulates that the airline must first ask for volunteers to forfeit their seats in exchange for some compensation. Travel Maestro tip: Compensation for voluntary bumping is not regulated by the DOT. You can negotiate the compensation with the airline representative; however, they will likely choose the volunteer with the lowest cost to the airline.

Questions to ask before accepting a voluntary denied boarding:

• What is the next flight you can confirm with a seat assignment?
• Does the voucher or other compensation have an expiration date?
• Are there times that I cannot use the voucher (blackout dates)?
• How far in advance can I make a reservation using the voucher, or is it only stand-by?

What are Your Rights for Involuntary Denied Boarding?

The truth is that involuntary denied boarding happens very rarely – an average of 6.2 per 100,000 passengers. But if it does become necessary, compensation for involuntary denied boarding is regulated by the DOT.

• If the reaccommodation the airline provides arrives within one hour of your original flight, there is no compensation.
• If the new flights arrive between one and two hours (up to four hours on international flights) after your original arrival time, the airline must pay you an amount equal to 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination that day, with a $675 maximum.
• If the airline does not provide alternate transportation or the arrival is over two hours (four hours internationally) late, the compensation doubles (400% of your one-way fare, $1350 maximum).
• If your ticket does not show a fare (e.g., a frequent-flyer award ticket or a ticket issued by a consolidator), your denied boarding compensation is based on the lowest payment charged for a ticket in the same class of service (e.g., coach, first class) on that flight.

Find detailed Fly Rights on the Department of Transportation’s Consumer Guide to Air Travel.

For airline reservations, tickets, AND advance seat assignments (when available), contact Covington Travel.

Source: American Society of Travel Agents