Here's What Happens When You're Bumped From a Flight

Sometimes no matter how well you plan, your travels don't go as expected. It's not illegal for airlines to overbook flights, and because of this, sometimes there aren't enough seats available for every ticketed passenger. To free up some seats, airlines may involuntarily bump passengers if no passengers volunteer to take a later flight. Find out what to expect if you get bumped from a flight while traveling.

You may be asked to volunteer yourself to be bumped

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has rules for how airlines must handle bumping passengers when a flight is oversold and there aren't enough seats for everyone to fly. The DOT requires airlines to ask passengers to volunteer to be bumped in exchange for compensation before beginning to involuntary bump passengers.

If you're at the airport and your airline has noted that there aren't enough seats for every ticketed passenger, they'll ask volunteers to take alternative flights instead. If the airline struggles to find volunteers, it may increase the compensation they're willing to pay to entice travelers with the flexibility to take a later flight.

If you have flexibility, you can negotiate with the airline to ask for more compensation for the inconvenience. Asking for cash instead of airline credit is an excellent strategy because you can stash it in a savings account to use as you wish. Talk about a personal finance win!

You won't be owed compensation if…

If there aren't enough volunteers, the airline will start involuntarily bumping passengers before departure. How much airlines must pay bumped passengers depends on the length of time they're delayed in getting to their destination. If you're involuntarily bumped, and the airline can arrange alternate transportation that gets you to your destination within one hour of the originally scheduled arrival time, the airline isn't required to provide compensation.

You'll be owed 200% of your one-way fare (up to $775) if…

If your alternative travel arrangements will delay you more than one hour from your original scheduled arrival time, the airline is responsible for compensating you. That timeline varies depending on whether it's a domestic or international flight. You'll be owed 200% of your one-way far (up to $775) if:

• Your arrival is delayed between one and two hours after your originally scheduled arrival time for a domestic flight.
• Your arrival is delayed between one and four hours after your originally scheduled arrival time for an international flight.

You'll be owed 400% of your one-way fare (up to $1,550) if…

Airlines are responsible for paying bumped passengers more for longer delays. You'll be owed 400% of your one-way fare (up to $1,550) if:

• Your arrival is delayed more than two hours after your originally scheduled arrival time for a domestic flight.
• Your arrival is delayed more than four hours after your originally scheduled arrival time for an international flight.

Be aware of these exceptions

The compensation requirements mentioned above only apply to passengers with confirmed reservations. You must also meet the airline's required deadline for check-in to qualify for compensation if you're involuntarily bumped.

Often, airlines require passengers to be at the departure gate between 10 and 30 minutes before the scheduled departure for domestic flights. Airlines may require passengers to be at the departure gate three hours before the scheduled departure time for international flights.

Prepare for the unexpected when traveling

There is always the potential for travel delays, cancellations, and other disruptions. You can better prepare yourself for disruptions by using a travel rewards credit card to pay for your reservations. You can earn rewards on your spending and take advantage of benefits like trip interruption and trip delay insurance, and trip cancellation protection. Check out our list of the best travel credit cards to learn more about the benefits offered.