Denied Boarding: Get Compensation When Airline Flung You Off an Overbooked Flight
Alert! Even with a confirmed ticket, you may be denied to board the flight. But this can only be done by exchanging some benefits.
It has become a tradition for airlines to overbook a flight and ultimately deny passengers to board the flight. For What? The question arises. To give them the compensation up to 600 euros certainly cannot be the reason. Let’s just explore what it could be.
Why airlines sell more tickets than the existing seats on the airplane?
Money, for sure. Airlines think of profits before making sure that passengers get what they paid.
Why does Denied Boarding happen?
The primary concern of all the airlines that the plane should fly with all its capacity and attain maximum profit, they often overbook a flight.
Sometimes selling more tickets than the available seats turned out favorable. How?
Even after having a reservation passenger do not turn up for their flight. While other times, passengers cancel their booked tickets before the flight and that ultimately result in empty seats at the departure time which airlines do not want it to happen.
So, in simple words, it is a missed opportunity to make some extra money.
However, they prefer to play the odds. For example, imagine there are 100 seats on a particular flight. The airline prophesizes that 5 people who have purchased the tickets will not turn up so, they sell 105 tickets for that particular flight.
Your predictions cannot always be favorable. Right? So, it may be possible that 2 out of 5 people did not show up. Now, 103 people want to board or have a valid reservation, but the flight has only 100 seats. What can be done now?
The airlines first call for the volunteers to leave their seats. If there are not enough volunteers, they left with no choice but deny boarding to other passengers.
This results in thousands of passengers are denied to board due to overbooking every year. If this ever happens to you, be aware that you are eligible to claim compensation.
Want to know how much you can claim? Here are the details of denied boarding under Air Passenger Rights.
How airlines choose passengers for boarding denial?
Airlines first call for volunteers and ask them if they are ready to give up their seats. Of course, airlines provide some benefits to those passengers such as – money, voucher, free trip, hotel services, a higher class of seat, or so on. Passengers who willingly leave their seats are known as voluntary denied boarding.
As airlines decide the number of benefits, but it is also a great opportunity for you to make the most out of it. Bargain wisely!
Pro Tip: If you want your compensation for denied boarding, don’t surrender your seat voluntarily. Because it would waive your right. That is the reason it is really important to know how much airline is giving in return for boarding denial: If it is something you value more, don’t hesitate to take it.
If there are not enough volunteers, anyone can be denied boarding against his/her will: that is known as involuntarily denied boarding. It means that the airline would choose randomly who will be denied to board.
It is important to note that – if a passenger is traveling with children of their own, they cannot be denied boarding under Air passenger Rights regulations. (EC261 as well as DGCA)
Final Thoughts
Denied boarding can really get heartbreaking. Preparing for backup plans may also prove good. But now you know, what should be done if airline deny you to board.
To claim your compensation, share your details with refundme.in and get your compensation even faster.