Bumped Off an Overbooked Flight: Your Rights When You're Denied Boarding
A valid ticket, at the gate on time, and no seat.
It is an unwelcome surprise: you have a valid ticket, you are at the gate on time, and the airline tells you there is no seat. It usually means the flight was overbooked. The good news is that being bumped against your will is one of the most clearly protected situations in air travel.
Why it happens
Airlines routinely sell a few more seats than the aircraft holds, betting that some passengers will not show. Most of the time it works. When everyone turns up, someone has to be left behind, and that is where your rights begin.
First, they will ask for volunteers
Before bumping anyone, the airline will usually ask whether anyone will give up their seat in exchange for benefits, such as a later flight plus a payment or voucher. This is voluntary, and if you choose it, what you receive is whatever you agree with the airline. So do not accept the first offer if the rebooking would cost you more than the perk is worth, and get any agreement in writing.
If you are bumped involuntarily
If you did not volunteer and you are still refused boarding, you are entitled to a fixed sum, set by distance: £220, £350 or £520. These amounts are fixed in law and the airline cannot reduce them, whatever you paid for the ticket. On top of that you can choose between a refund and being rerouted to your destination, and the airline must look after you while you wait, with food, the means to make contact, and accommodation if you are kept overnight.
When you are not owed compensation
There is a line. You are not entitled to compensation if you were refused boarding for a reasonable reason, such as missing or incorrect travel documents, a health or safety concern, or disruptive behaviour. Denied boarding compensation is for the airline's own overbooking, not for a problem on your side.
A note on downgrades
If the airline puts you in a lower cabin than you booked, that is not denied boarding, but you are still owed money back: a percentage of the fare for that leg, between 30 and 75 per cent depending on the distance.
How MAJ helps
Being bumped is rare, but when it happens, knowing exactly what to ask for changes the outcome. At MAJ Travel Concierge we step in to secure the rerouting that actually works for your plans rather than the first one the airline offers, and we make sure nothing you are entitled to is quietly skipped, with flights always in the traveller's own name. Members have this support built in, and our Disruption Advisory covers non-members in a live situation.
This is general guidance. Your exact rights depend on the airline and the circumstances, and the CAA is the place to confirm them.
Want this handled for you?
MAJ Travel Concierge does the booking, the rebooking and the awkward calls with the airline, so you do not have to. We act as your concierge agent; your flight is booked with the airline in your name.