Do You Know Your Rights When You Get Bumped Off From a Confirmed Seat?

What does being bumped off a flight mean?

It means being asked ( or persuaded) to get off a flight voluntarily or involuntarily due to airlines overselling airline seats. For those who have never experienced being bumped off before, below are the recent statistics on just what the probability is of being bumped off. ( Based on US airlines only).

So Just how do you reduce the likelihood of being bumped off?

1) Get to the gate early. Airline rules typically state that if you don't arrive at least 10 - 20 minutes before the scheduled departure, you will forfeit your reservation and too bad for you..

2) Try not to take routes frequented by business travelers, particularly those on Monday mornings and the hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

3)Demand for departures after noon on Fridays or on Sunday evenings are also high and therefore the likelihood of being bumped off is higher.

4)Also routes that have scant nonstop or direct service with no change of planes are very likely candidates for bumping people off.

5)To be extra sure ( Kiasu..)Be at the gate before the majority of the passengers have checked in, your chances of retaining your original reservation are favorable.

Bumped off? Know your rights...
Airlines willl try to seek out volunteers. Such volunteers can receive lucrative rewards, from cash to free air vouchers. In general, the longer the delay to the next flight, the better the payoff, and if the airline cannot secure enough volunteers to forfeit their seats the first time around, the payoff will generally increase as the flight nears take-off time and the airline grows more desperate to empty seats. Some airlines will even offer meals, free drink coupons, free headsets on the next flight, an upgrade to first-class, a free long-distance phone call or admission into the swanky airline clubs. So be sure to try your luck in asking for more perks....

If the airlines is not able to secure any enough volunteers, they will have to compensate. Under the new rule by the U.S Department of Transportation which goes into effect in May 2008, fliers who are involuntarily bumped would receive up to $400 if they are rescheduled to reach their destination within two hours of their original arrival time or four hours for international flights, and up to $800 if they are not rerouted within that timeframe. The amount of these payments are determined by the price of the ticket and the length of the delay, and are in addition to the value of the passenger’s ticket, which the flyer can use for alternate transportation or have refunded if not used.Please note that the above applies to those operated with aircraft seating 30 people or more and that it may not apply in non-US jurisdiction. (Anyway, it would be good to know the industry norm..right..)