You are on time at the airport with your reservation but before boarding, you are informed that there is no more room. You are the victim of overbooking!
Overbooking, what is it?
It is quite a practice legal and used by the majority of airlines. It's about selling more tickets than there are seats on the plane. The companies assume that 5% of passengers will cancel their reservation or change flights. To be sure to fill their planes and make the flights profitable, companies therefore sell more than they can offer. Most of the time, that doesn't pose a problem. But sometimes the number of cancellations is lower than expected (and that sometimes creates tensions like the United Airlines affair). There are then too many passengers boarding and not enough seats on the plane: there are surbooking ou overbooking. Before boarding, an agent will then ask if any volunteers want to take the next flight. If there are not enough volunteers, the company can refuse to board it against the will of the customers (and this is legal) but then they must offer compensation.
It can be interesting if you don't have any imperatives and can wait for the next flight.
What are your rights?
If you have time, you wait for the next flight and will normally be picked up by the airline. You can even receive compensation who can go up to 600 euros for a long haul flight. If the distance of the trip was less than 1 km, you will receive 500 euros. This is 250 euros compensation for a flight between 400 and 1 km and 500 to 3 euros if the trip exceeded 500 km. If the wait until the next plane is long, the company must serve drinks and snacks, but sometimes they must be requested.
It is even possible to be upgraded at no extra charge on the next plane.
To benefit from compensation, the alternative flight must arrive at its destination more than three hours after the time initially scheduled. Otherwise, you are not entitled to anything.
If the wait is longer than two hours and your flight was less than 1 km, you may be eligible for assistance - basic services including a snack, drinks, two phone calls and two free emails. These services are due from a three hour wait for flights of 500 to 1 km and from four hours of patience for flights over 500 km.
If you can't wait, you can request a refund of your ticket. Compensation is due even if your ticket is refunded to you. Is it additional compensation and a cheaper way to travel?
Assert your rights
It is important to keep all the documents that prove that you have been overbooked because you have up to 5 years to make your claim. To obtain compensation, two possibilities :
1/ to be assisted by a specialized company (such as Flightright) which will take care of all the procedures for you. It will then only be commissioned if successful, and you will have saved time.
2/ contact the airline who actually operated the flight (not the one where you made your reservation).
Have you ever been a victim of Overbooking? And what steps did you take?
Share your experiences in the comments and help fellow travelers ...
