Here’s some good news. In the last two years, involuntary passenger bumping from flights has dropped more than 77%.
But what happens if you are bumped off a flight? Do you know your rights?
The airlines by law are required to pay you a minimum of $1,550 denied boarding compensation. Some airlines have internal rules that allow their gate agents to offer passengers as much as $10,000 so that they “volunteer” to get off the plane.
Some airlines, like Southwest, have reduced overbooking on its flights and only bumps about half as many passengers as it used to.
If you want to know if you’re eligible for compensation, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has specific rules for overbooking and denied boarding, and can easily be found online.