Flight overbooked? Here’s how to avoid being bumped from your plane

If you’ve booked yourself a flight this summer, don’t take it as a guarantee that you’ll be able to board your plane.

There’s a chance you won’t be allowed on if your flight is overbooked. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually a very common practice for some airlines.

In early June, Taylor Swift fan Megan Ridout was denied boarding on her British Airways £91 return flight to Lyon after she got concert tickets, and the airline instead offered her a flight that got her to Lyon, 90 minutes after the concert started.

So, if this happens to you, what are your rights and how can you avoid being the person chosen to be bumped from your flight?

Matthew Hall, managing director for airport transfers app Hoppa, said: ‘Airlines overbook certain flights to ensure planes are filled even when some passengers don’t show up.

According to The Independent, easyJet’s typical rate of passengers who don’t show up for departure is an average of 5%, or around nine would-be travellers per full flight – so it’s not uncommon.

But if all passengers show up on the day and the flight is over-booked, if you do volunteer to be bumped, you’re entitled to an alternative flight or refund.

Airlines often offer cash or vouchers in compensation, or they may pay for your airport hotel if there’s not a flight that same day.

But is there a way to avoid this drama in the first place?

How to avoid getting bumped from your flight

If no one volunteers to give up their seat, the airline staff will pick who is denied boarding.

Matthew explained that there are certain groups of people who are more likely to have priority when it comes to retaining their seat on the flight. These include: unaccompanied children, people with mobility issues, first-class ticket holders and those with holiday packages from the airline.

‘It can also help to sign up to the airline’s frequent flyer programme, which is usually free and can get you discounts on future flights by earning miles,’ Matthew added.

This is classed as a flight under 1,500km – like a journey from Glasgow to Amsterdam, for example. If you arrive more than two hours late at your final destination because of being bumped, you can claim £220 in compensation.

If you arrive less than two hours late, you’re entitled to £110.

For a medium-haul flight of 1,500km to 3,500km, think East Midlands to Marrakech, you can get £350 in compensation if you arrive more than three hours late.

If you arrive less than three hours late after being bumped, you’re entitled to £175.

For a long-haul flight of more than 3,500km, think London to New York, if you arrive more than four hours after your scheduled arrival time, you’re entitled to £520 in compensation.

But, if you arrive less than four hours late, you can claim £260.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

MORE : Think ‘rawdog’ travel seems unbearable? This is why people do it

MORE : You really can do Rome in a day — and this is the best way

MORE : Airline workers have a secret name for people who queue early to board the plane

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.