What to do if…
your flight is overbooked and you are being denied boarding

What to do now

1. Keep proof that you were ready to travel.
   Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation, check-in proof, app screenshots, baggage receipt, and a note of when you reached the gate.

2. Ask the key question clearly.
   Say: “Am I being asked to volunteer, or am I being involuntarily denied boarding because this flight is oversold?”

3. If they are asking for volunteers, make the offer specific before accepting.
   Ask:

   • Is the replacement seat confirmed or standby?
   • What exactly am I receiving: cash, check, travel credit, voucher, miles, meals, hotel, or ground transport?
   • What are the expiry dates, blackout dates, transfer limits, and other restrictions?
   • Will accepting this mean I am treated as a volunteer rather than involuntarily bumped?

4. If they say you are being involuntarily denied boarding, ask for the written statement.
   Say: “Please give me the written denied boarding statement with the compensation rules and your boarding priority criteria.”

5. Check whether the oversales compensation rules likely apply.
   You generally need all of these: the flight departs from a U.S. airport, you had a confirmed reservation, you met the airline’s check-in and gate deadlines, the flight is oversold, and the airline cannot get you to your destination or first stopover within one hour of the original planned arrival time.

6. Watch for common exceptions.
   Denied boarding compensation may not apply if the issue is a canceled flight, a smaller aircraft substituted for operational or safety reasons, certain small-aircraft or weight-balance limits, a downgrade with a fare difference refund, failure to meet ticketing or check-in rules, or a passenger safety, security, health, or conduct issue.

7. Sanity-check the denied boarding compensation tier if you are eligible.
   For eligible involuntary oversales bumping:

   • Domestic flights: no compensation for a 0–1 hour arrival delay; 200% of the one-way fare for a 1–2 hour delay, capped at $1,075; 400% for over 2 hours, capped at $2,150.
   • International flights leaving the United States: no compensation for a 0–1 hour arrival delay; 200% of the one-way fare for a 1–4 hour delay, capped at $1,075; 400% for over 4 hours, capped at $2,150.
   • Airlines may offer more than the required minimum.

8. Ask how and when payment will happen.
   If you qualify for denied boarding compensation, ask for cash or an immediately negotiable check at the airport. If substitute transportation leaves before payment can be prepared, ask how they will send payment within 24 hours.

9. Get the travel plan in writing before you walk away.
   Ask for one of these:

   • a confirmed replacement itinerary;
   • a refund confirmation;
   • a written explanation of why neither is being provided yet.

10. Ask about unused optional fees.
    Ask the airline to document paid extras you did not receive, such as a seat assignment, baggage service, or upgrade, so you can request a refund for unused optional services not provided on your alternate transportation.

11. If staff say you are being removed after boarding, keep the problem separate.
    Stay calm, follow crew instructions, ask for the reason in writing when it is safe to do so, and focus on rebooking, refund confirmation, and documentation. You can challenge the explanation later through the airline and, if needed, the U.S. Department of Transportation complaint process.

12. If the airport desk cannot fix it, preserve the record.
    Save names or badge numbers if visible, times, screenshots, receipts, the written statement, the replacement itinerary, and any messages from the airline. File with the airline first, then use the DOT complaint route if the airline does not resolve it.