TRAVEL PROBLEMS · OVERBOOKED FLIGHTS
Bumped from an overbooked flight? What you're owed
Being "bumped" (denied boarding) is legal, but it is not free for the airline. In the US, EU and UK you can be owed cash, a new flight or a refund, and often meals and a hotel. The amount depends on where you departed, how late you arrive, and whether you volunteered.
Ad / affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you use AirHelp through the link on this page, at no extra cost to you. You can always claim directly with the airline yourself for free. Prepared with AI assistance.
The 30-second answer
Volunteered? You get whatever you negotiated. Settle the details (cash or voucher, confirmed seat, meals, hotel) before you give up your seat.
Bumped against your will, departing the US: 200% or 400% of your one-way fare, depending on how late you arrive. The airline may cap it at $1,075 or $2,150. It must offer payment at the airport the same day.
Bumped against your will, EU or UK rules: a fixed €250/€400/€600 (UK: £220/£350/£520), plus your choice of refund or re-routing, plus meals and a hotel if needed.
Bumped against your will in Europe or the UK and the airline hasn't paid? AirHelp checks whether your flight qualifies for free; it charges a fee (35%) only if it wins your claim. Bumped in the US? The airline owes you payment at the airport, so ask the gate agent first.
Check your flight with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. Prefer to claim yourself for free? The rules and what to say at the gate are below.
First: did you volunteer or were you bumped?
This decides everything. Airlines must ask for volunteers before bumping anyone involuntarily. If you volunteer, there is no fixed legal amount: you get what you agreed to. If you are bumped involuntarily, the fixed rules below apply. The US DOT notes there is no limit on what an airline may offer volunteers, and you are free to negotiate.
Questions to ask before you volunteer
- Is the next flight a confirmed seat, or standby on a full flight?
- Is the offer cash or a voucher? When does the voucher expire, and does it have blackout dates or fees?
- Will the airline pay for meals, a hotel and transfers if the new flight is tomorrow?
- What would you get if you were bumped involuntarily instead? US airlines must tell volunteers this amount.
United States: involuntary bumping
US Department of Transportation rules cover flights departing a US airport. You qualify for denied boarding compensation if you had a confirmed reservation, checked in on time, reached the gate on time, and the airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your original arrival time.
| Your arrival delay | Domestic flight | International flight from the US |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 hour | No compensation | No compensation |
| 1–2 hours (domestic) / 1–4 hours (international) | 200% of one-way fare, airline may cap at $1,075 | 200% of one-way fare, airline may cap at $1,075 |
| Over 2 hours (domestic) / over 4 hours (international) | 400% of one-way fare, airline may cap at $2,150 | 400% of one-way fare, airline may cap at $2,150 |
- Cash, not just vouchers. Under the federal rule (14 CFR 250.5), an airline may offer free or reduced-rate travel instead, but it must tell you the cash amount you're owed and that you can refuse the voucher and take cash or a check.
- When you get paid: the airline must offer compensation at the airport on the same day. If your replacement flight leaves before it can pay you, it must pay within 24 hours.
- Your rights in writing: airlines must give every involuntarily bumped passenger a written statement of their rights and how they choose who gets bumped.
- Paid extras: the airline must refund unused optional fees, such as a seat assignment or bag fee, for services you did not get on the replacement flight.
- After boarding: once you have checked in on time and the gate agent has scanned your boarding pass, the airline generally cannot remove you, except for safety, security, health or disruptive behavior.
When US rules pay nothing
No compensation is owed when a smaller plane is substituted for operational or safety reasons, for weight and balance limits on planes with 60 or fewer seats, on charter flights, on planes with fewer than 30 seats, or on international flights into the US (check EU or UK rules for those). If you are downgraded to a lower class, you are owed the fare difference.
Europe: EU denied boarding rules
According to the EU's Your Europe guidance, these rules cover flights within the EU on any airline, flights departing the EU on any airline, and flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline.
| Flight distance | Compensation | Can be halved to… |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | €250 | €125 if re-routed and you arrive within 2 hours of the original time |
| 1,500–3,500 km (and all longer flights within the EU) | €400 | €200 if you arrive within 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | €300 if you arrive within 4 hours |
On top of the cash, the airline must offer you a choice between a refund (plus a flight back to your first departure point if you were mid-journey), re-routing as soon as possible, or re-routing at a later date that suits you. While you wait it must provide meals and refreshments, a hotel and transport to it if you are rebooked overnight, and two phone calls or emails. Volunteers receive whatever benefits they agree with the airline, plus the refund or re-routing choice.
United Kingdom
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says UK rules cover flights departing a UK airport, flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline, and flights arriving in the EU on a UK airline. If you are bumped involuntarily after checking in on time:
| Flight distance | Full amount | Reduced amount |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | £220 (arrive 2+ hours late) | £110 (under 2 hours late) |
| 1,500–3,500 km | £350 (3+ hours late) | £175 (under 3 hours late) |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 (4+ hours late) | £260 (under 4 hours late) |
You also choose between an alternative flight and a full refund, and get food, drink, communication and a hotel if the new flight is the next day. No compensation is due if you were refused boarding for health, safety or security reasons or because you lacked the right travel documents.
What to do at the gate
- Don't volunteer by accident. If you need to travel, say no to the volunteer offer. If you agree, you lose the fixed involuntary amounts.
- Ask for the written statement (US) or the airline's written notice of your rights (EU/UK).
- Write down times: original arrival time and your new arrival time. The delay decides the amount.
- Ask for cash or check. Only take a voucher if it is worth more to you and you know its restrictions.
- Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation and receipts for food, transport and a hotel.
- Ask for a refund of paid extras (seat, bag fees) you lose on the new flight.
Checklist: what to keep
- Booking reference and e-ticket receipt (shows your one-way fare)
- Check-in time proof (app screenshot or email)
- Boarding pass for the flight you were bumped from
- The airline's written rights notice
- New boarding pass showing the replacement arrival time
- Receipts for meals, transport and hotel
Two ways to claim
1. Claim directly (free). At a US airport, the airline must offer compensation on the spot; if it doesn't, file a complaint with the airline and then with the US DOT. For EU and UK flights, use the airline's claim form, cite EU Regulation 261/2004 (or the UK version), and escalate to the national enforcement body or the CAA if refused.
2. Use a claim service. For EU and UK claims the airline won't pay, AirHelp checks eligibility and pursues the airline for a percentage of the compensation, charging only if it wins. My flight delay compensation guide explains the fee. Claiming yourself keeps the full amount.
Check your flight with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. Opens AirHelp's website, where you check eligibility and submit a claim.