Flight Overbooking Compensation & Refund (2024)

What is flight overbooking and why do airlines overbook flights?

Overbooking happens more often than you could think. Flight overbooking happens when airlines sell more tickets than seats available on the plane. They do this in hopes that some passengers would be “no-shows” and that, in the end, all passengers could board the plane.

However, if there is a flight overbooking, and all passengers show up, airlines have to find volunteers to give away their seats. In exchange, they can offer vouchers, miles, or other options. If no volunteers are found, airlines must deny boarding to some passengers for the plane to depart. And this is when it gets interesting for you — in the event of denied boarding, passengers are entitled to flight compensation of up to €600 per passenger!

Want to know more about your passenger rights when your flight is overbooked, and you were denied boarding? Continue reading!

Is flight overbooking legal?

Flight overbooking is quite unfair to passengers, but it is allowed. However, if your flight is covered by Regulation EC 261/2004, you can be entitled to flight compensation if you were denied boarding due to overbooking!

Overbooking and denied boarding — claim flight compensation and a refund of your ticket!

In the event of an overbooked flight, you could be entitled to flight compensation and a refund of your ticket. However, this only applies if you were denied boarding. Here’s more information on when you can receive flight compensation of up to €600 per passenger!

Overbooked flight leading to denied boarding — claim flight compensation up to €600 per passenger

If your flight was overbooked and the airline denied you boarding, you could claim flight compensation under the European regulation EU261 if:

• Your flight was operated by a European airline and/or departing from Europe

• You were denied boarding (in other words, you did not give away your seat willingly)

• The airline offered you a replacement flight, but it arrived more than 2 hours later at your destination

Flight overbooking — when to ask for a full refund of your ticket

If you have been denied boarding due to overbooking on your flight and if you no longer wish to travel, the airline must offer you a refund for your ticket.

I gave away my seat willingly, am I still entitled to overbooked flight compensation?

Unfortunately, if your flight was overbooked and you decided to give away your seat willingly, you wouldn’t be able to get flight compensation.

Flight compensation in the event of an overbooked flight relies on the principle of denied boarding. This is why, when flight overbooking occurs, airlines first try to find volunteers to give away their seats and offer vouchers, miles, another flight, etc. If you decide to accept those and give away your seat, you are no longer entitled to flight compensation and refund as you were not considered denied boarding.

Even if the airline offers seem valuable, remember that if the event of denied boarding you could get flight compensation of up to €600 per passenger and the full refund of your plane ticket — this is worthy of consideration.

How much flight compensation am I entitled to in the event of a flight overbooking?

If your flight was overbooked and you were denied boarding, the amount of compensation you’d be entitled to would depend on the distance of your flight.

How long can I claim flight compensation for my flight overbooking?

The time limit depends on your flight itinerary. However, if you were leaving from the UK or flying on a British airline, you can claim for up to 6 years after your denied boarding.

But let’s say you were denied boarding for a flight operated by Iberia from Paris to Amsterdam, you could claim flight compensation up to:

• 5 years (French and Spanish law)

• 2 years (Dutch law)

How can I claim flight compensation for a flight overbooking?

Claim now with Flight-Delayed.com — the easiest and quickest way to claim flight compensation for your overbooked flight!

Trusting us with your claim will allow you to maximize your chances of success. From the moment you submit your claim, our team of experts will take care of the process for you! We will handle the whole process on your behalf, including going to court if needed. No win, no fee.