You're finally on your way; you get to the airport, and OH NO.... you're getting bumped. How did that happen? You have a reservation. How could they not have enough room for you? Well, now we're into a whole new category of flight problem. Not getting on the flight you wanted.

The problem comes from the way airlines book their flights. They routinely overbook their flights. They do this because there is an amazingly large "no-show factor" even in this day and age of "non-refundable tickets".

How much they overbook each flight is a very delicate computation based on what has happened on that flight in the past, how many groups are booked on it the day of the flight, and if there is a holiday or ball game or festival that will reduce the number of no shows.

You've got to know this though, they never get it exactly right. So if everyone who has a reservation shows up.... they won't have enough seats, and some passengers end up getting bumped. The airlines call this a denied boarding compensation situation.

When flights are oversold, airlines ask for volunteers first... Asking the volunteers to take a later flight in exchange for a trip voucher for a free trip in the future. As they get more desperate, the agents may be authorized to offer a sweeter package of compensation. They much prefer to bump volunteers. They know these people have the time to spare, and many people actually like to get into this type of situation and get free future flights. (There are even some people who go looking for full flights so they can volunteer for getting bumped!)

If not enough people raise their hands, that's when things get the most frustrating for everyone. The agents don't like being in this situation any more than you do. It's generally travelers who don't have seat assignments that get bumped... that would be most often those who checked in last.

All the more reason to check in online 24 hours in advance and get your boarding pass and seat assignment before you even leave home. If you don't do that, at least make sure you get to the airport a couple of hours before an international departure. Hopefully an early airport check-in will be good enough to keep you from getting bumped.

On some airlines, those who paid the least are the first to go. If you've checked in early, but they can't give you a seat assignment, it may be that the flight is nearly full. If you're one of the unlucky ones, you're entitled to on-the-spot compensation based on how long it takes the airline to get you to your destination.

You need to know all the rules because there are lots of exceptions where they don't have to compensate you -- such as if a smaller aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons or if they're able to get you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time. But if you've followed all the rules, and they can't accommodate you, they must offer you compensation.

The formula varies depending on the country you are traveling from, so this may take some research on your part. It may not make up for getting a late start on your trip, but it will make getting bumped a little easier to take.


Tags: getting bumped, getting bumped from flights

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