Bumped from an overbooked flight: your rights
Airlines often sell more seats than the plane has. If you turned up on time with a valid ticket and were refused boarding against your will, you're owed compensation straight away.
Volunteers first
The airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for agreed benefits. If you volunteer, you get what you agree with the airline (and a refund or another flight), but not the fixed compensation.
If you were refused against your will
You're owed the fixed compensation (the same amounts as for delays), a choice of refund or another flight, and care while you wait. It can be halved if the new flight got you there close to the original arrival time. Overbooking is never an extraordinary circumstance.
When the airline can refuse you
Compensation isn't due if there were reasonable grounds, such as health, safety or security reasons, or missing travel documents. Check-in and gate deadlines count too, so keep proof you arrived on time.
Questions
How much do I get for being bumped?
The same fixed amounts as for delays: £220, £350 or £520 under UK261, or €250, €400 or €600 under EU261, per passenger, depending on distance.
I volunteered to take a later flight. Can I still claim?
Not the fixed compensation. Volunteers receive whatever they agreed with the airline, plus a refund or another flight.
More guides
- How much compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled flight?
- What are "extraordinary circumstances"?
- Cancelled flight: what you're owed
- How far back can I claim?
- Airline rejected your claim? What to do next
- Missed your connecting flight? What you're owed
- Delayed or cancelled by a strike: can I claim?
- Meals, hotels and refunds during a delay
- Downgraded to a lower class: what you're owed
Important: DelayOwed is a self-help guidance tool, not a law firm or claims company, and is not affiliated with any airline. Airline names are used only to describe which flights this guide covers.