The video circulating the internet showing the passenger being dragged off a commercial jet has created a lot of commentary. And, there are a myriad of issues involved: passenger rights, legal authority, customer service matters, not to mention just plain ole “what were they thinking?”
But, the question most frequently posed to me this week was “What do I do if I’m bumped?”
First, let me differentiate between two forms of “bumping”. Voluntary vs involuntary.
Voluntarily relinquishing a seat for compensation isn’t counted by the DOT in denied boarding statistics. Usually a win-win for all. The airline gets the seat(s) they need, the re-accommodated passenger(s) are compensated in a manner they’ve agreed to and feel is fair. Frequently this is with future-use vouchers, but it is up to airline what carrot they want to dangle to entice potential volunteers. I posted a story earlier this week on Facebook about a family that received $11,000 from Delta to give up seats – probably a reaction to the week’s headlines.
I’ve known passengers who deliberately plan and buy their tickets with the intent to take advantage of this possibility. They will purchase tickets for the earliest flight on a day that has a high volume (think Wednesday before Thanksgiving) with no urgency to arrive at their final destination until late in the day or even the next morning. They’re first in line to give up a seat when the airline inevitably requests a volunteer. One couple I know volunteered twice on one day!
Usually, with the first or second offer, the airline gets their volunteers. But, sometimes there aren’t enough takers and the airline will continue to up the ante until someone accepts. This cat and mouse game sometimes provides good entertainment. Once, I was on a plane that had already boarded and they needed one seat. The auction started at $200 and a guaranteed seat on next flight which was a couple of hours later. Actually, I think that was a pretty lame offer since we were already on the plane. No takers. The bid went up to $300, then $500, and finally $1000. BINGO! Three call lights went off simultaneously.
Involuntarily giving up your seat is a different situation and happens when there aren’t any volunteers (or not enough). The airline chooses the passengers to which they will deny boarding based on the airline's policy.
There are specific rules the airlines must follow when this happens:
- If they can rebook you on another flight and get you to your destination within one hour of the original arrival time, you are owed nothing.
- If you are rebooked and your arrival window is between one and two hours of the original, you must be compensated up to 200% of the one-way fare or $675, whichever is less.
- Over two hours it goes up to 400% and $1,350.
- There are also additional criteria for meals and hotels depending on length of delay. But, the most important takeaway is that there is required monetary compensation if you are not volunteering to be bumped.
My advice if this happens:
- Clearly ask “Am I being denied boarding?” Don’t confuse a voluntary relinquishment of your seat for a voucher with being involuntarily bumped. This also gives the airline representative a chance to be clear with their position. And, may encourage the airline to reconsider whether they’ve exhausted their possibilities for volunteers.
- If the response is affirmative, request a copy of the airline’s denied boarding policy – they must provide it to you. Each airline’s policy is different outside of what is required by law.
- It never hurts to ask for some amenities such as a pass to the lounge or a request for first-class seating on your new flight. They don’t have to do it, but they might try and mitigate a bad situation. The vast majority of airline representatives are friendly and want to be helpful. They probably feel regretful about the situation, albeit not as bad as you. Be friendly with requests for extras.
Hopefully, an involuntary boarding denial will never happen to you.
In fact, in my opinion, it should rarely if ever happen. If the airlines want to overbook their flights to increase the likelihood of filling the planes, they should be prepared to compensate passengers when it doesn’t work out. If that requires $1000 voucher (or more) to get someone to volunteer, then so be it.
What do you think?