Sep
16
Getting Bumped and Getting Paided For It.
Filed Under Airlines
The Department Of Transportation has published a new set of updated rules regarding passengers who are denied-boarding, aka bumped from a flight they have a confirmed seat.
The basics of the DOT rules haven’t changed. The airline must ask for volunteers when a flight is oversold before bumping any passengers off the flight involuntarily.
Compensation for involuntary bumping is twice the one-way fare including tax, up to a maximum of $800, plus alternative transportation. The compensation is halved to a $400 max if the airline can get you to your final destination within two hours of the original flight for domestic, or four hours for Int’l flights. Old caps, created in 1978, were $400 and $200 respectively.
I’m a consistent denied-boarding volunteer, and have had dozens of free flights as a result. If I’m flying a popular route I’ll go to the desk at the flights gate and ask to be placed on the volunteer list. Over the years I’ve discovered some tips to help with the process.
- Because you volunteer you won’t get the maximum compensation noted above.
- It works best with non-stop flights with no connections.
- Book your travel on a flight that you suspect will be overbooked.
- I try and fly early in the day. This gives me plenty of flight options later in the day to get to my destination.
- Your luggage should be carry-on only. Don’t expect checked bags to follow your changes.
- It also works best if you are traveling alone, sometimes my Wife isn’t interested in working the system.
- It also works best when you are returning to your home airport, you then aren’t required to get to a reserved car or hotel.
My best outcome was LAX to Phoenix, I was bumped three times in a row. I think I got $100 flight credit each time, on a flight that cost me around $60.
