Latest news with #overbooking
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
The shocking reason 6.6 million plane passengers are denied boarding every year
With the summer holiday season in full swing, new research shows over six million passengers are turned away from flights each year - even if they have a valid ticket. Overbooking occurs when airlines sell more seats than there actually are on a flight, in the hopes a small number of passengers won't show up. But when all passengers do turn up, this means someone gets left behind - and this could be you. According a study by which analysed data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), around 20.9 million people a year have been affected by overbooked flights. Of those, over a third (32 per cent) weren't allowed to board at all - the equivalent of about 6.6 million people every year. When a flight is overbooked, airlines are legally required to provide alternative flights, compensation and assistance to any affected travellers. Among the travellers surveyed, around 84 per cent, who were 'bumped' from flights were able to get rebooked on another - but about one in six weren't so lucky, meaning almost a million people were left with no replacement flight at all. Out of these few passengers, almost two-thirds (71 per cent) said they lost money as a result. However, less than half (44 per cent) decided to claim anything back on their travel insurance. Now, a travel insurance expert at is urging passengers to know their rights in the event they are affected by overbooked flights while travelling this year. Rhys Jones says: 'Flight overbooking happens more than we'd like to think, and it can make for an extremely stressful start to any trip for the passengers affected. 'If it happens to you, and you're not allowed to board a plane, the first thing you should do is confirm with the airline that you were denied boarding because of overbooking. Get this in writing if possible.' He recommends asking how the airline plans to assist you straight away - whether that's booking you on to another flight, covering your costs, or offering compensation. Jones adds: 'Remember to keep all relevant documents like boarding passes, communications from your airline and receipts for accommodation or meal costs. Your airline should compensate these expenses. 'Know that you can complain to your airline if necessary, and even, if it isn't being resolved, take your complaint to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.' While standard travel insurance usually doesn't cover overbooking, some policies include optional 'travel disruption' cover, which could help if the airline doesn't sort the issue. Jones says it's worth checking the details of your policy before you fly. It comes as Ryanair has hit back at a couple who vowed they will 'never fly with the airline again' after their decision to not pay extra to reserve seats ended up getting them kicked off the flight. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport on May 1 to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long break and gym mentorship event. The couple chose not to reserve seats - which typically costs between £4.50 and £33 per seat - prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight. This can be a gamble, as passengers might not get a seat next to their travel companions - or they could find themselves wedged in between two strangers if they've been assigned a less-desirable middle seat. And, in this case, they were offered two separate flights entirely - as there was only one seat left on the plane they were on.
Fox News
7 days ago
- Fox News
Flight passenger's rant about airline standby practices goes viral as record summer travel gets underway
An individual has taken to social media to rant that he or she is "tired of airlines acting like they're doing you a favor for putting you on a flight you paid for" just as the busiest summer travel season gets underway — sparking a heated discussion online among other travelers. "I book a flight weeks in advance and find out I've been put on standby when I get to the airport," wrote the person in a Reddit post, which elicited more than 5,000 reactions. "I then get told, 'Oh, you're lucky we got you the last seats available.'" The person added on the Reddit travel thread, "Lucky? I paid for this flight weeks in advance." The Redditor went on to say, addressing an unnamed airline in the post, "You oversold the flight and are now scrambling people around and are acting like you're doing me [a] favor for getting me a seat on the flight I originally booked and paid for." One individual responded to the post, "They will cancel or change the flight at a moment's notice, but if you change it, it's a problem and costs more." That reply alone attracted some 3,000 reactions. The vast majority of commenters agreed with the original post and expressed similar levels of outrage. "They rarely admit fault and if you make a mistake, it usually costs you," said another person. "It would be fair if they took responsibility, especially for overbooking." "You paid for your ticket. You did your part." Wrote yet another person in part, "While I understand the concept of positive positioning for customer service, it's insulting for them to use the word 'lucky' here. You paid for your ticket. You did your part. They created a problem and they had to solve it." Said another commenter, "If you fly first class, they actually treat you like a person once you get on the plane." Others online shared different perspectives — with some expressing confusion about the situation described. "Did you make sure to check in 24 hours in advance?" wrote one person. "Some airlines will release your seat to standby if [you're] not checked in by the last hour or so." Others also said they've never been bumped and asked the original poster for more details. "I have never experienced that," wrote one person. "I don't take that many domestic flights, but I do travel quite a lot internationally. I [have] never been bumped or had my ticket canceled." Said another person, "This has never happened to me. Ever." Wrote someone else, "Did you buy a basic fare with no assigned seat? I'm confused as to how they could move you to standby." With July 4th just up ahead, Americans are predicted to set a travel record this year to celebrate during the nation's 249th birthday. AAA released its "Independence Day Travel Forecast" report, finding that 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this July 4th, Fox News Digital previously reported. The forecast looks not just at the Fourth of July but at holiday travel spanning from Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6. The 2025 report is predicting an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year, while determining there will be seven million more travelers compared to 2019. Over 60 million Americans are set to drive to their destination, which is a 2.2% increase from 2024. Of the millions predicted to travel, 8% or 5.84 million Americans will be flying to their destinations. About 4.78 million travelers will be taking other forms of transportation such as cruises or trains. Ashley DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Airline offers passengers vouchers in bid to tackle overbooked flights this summer
Wizz Air is inviting passengers to "pre-select" themselves as volunteers to be offloaded from overbooked Flights. Passengers who volunteer and are selected at the airport will receive a €100 (£85) voucher in Wizz credits for future travel. This scheme allows Wizz Air to manage Flights where more tickets are sold than seats available, anticipating typical passenger "no-shows." The compensation offered to volunteers is considerably less than the £220 to £520 airlines are legally required to pay for involuntarily denied boarding. Volunteers must still attend their original flight, and there is no guarantee of an immediate or convenient later flight, with rebooking dependent on capacity. Wizz Air asks passengers to 'pre-select' themselves for being offloaded from overbooked flights
The Independent
20-06-2025
- The Independent
Wizz Air asks passengers to ‘pre-select' themselves for being offloaded from overbooked flights
As travellers prepare for a high-pressure summer, one of Europe's biggest budget airlines is inviting passengers to 'pre-select' themselves for offloading from overbooked flights. Wizz Air is telling passengers they will be in line for a €100 (£85) voucher if they are 'selected as a volunteer at the airport' to be offloaded. Most airlines sell more tickets than there are seats available for some in-demand flights. They say typically five per cent of passengers are 'no shows'. European air passengers' rights rules require carriers that overbook flights to seek volunteers if too many passengers show up than there are seats available. Typically this takes place at check-in or the departure gate, with passengers offered incentives to travel on a later flight. But Wizz Air is seeking to get a list of volunteers in advance, asking passengers: 'Are you flexible on dates? Would you consider joining our volunteer list to take a later flight if there aren't enough seats available on your flight? 'If you agree and are then selected as a volunteer at the airport, you'll receive €100 in Wizz credits per person that can be used for future travels with us, and we'll rebook you on a later flight that suits you best.' But the potential reward looks meagre compared with the hundreds of pounds that airlines are required to pay if they deny boarding to a passenger against their will. The minimum is £220, the maximum £520, depending on the length of the flight. The passenger must still turn up for the original flight. A spokesperson for Wizz Air said: 'Passengers should still go to the airport. By volunteering, passengers are indicating they are happy to be flexible. 'Whether or not the volunteer will fly will be down to the number of no-shows on the specific flight in question. If there are enough no-shows, the volunteer will fly, but if there are too little no-shows, the volunteer will be compensated as per the form and put on another flight.' The invitation makes no guarantee about the later flight the passenger would get. The Wizz Air spokesperson said: 'The airline would advise checking if there are any alternative flight options that would be suitable before saying 'yes'. Wherever possible, and where capacity allows, this will usually be the next available flight.' Flight frequencies vary widely. From London Luton to Bucharest, Wizz Air offers five flights per day. But from Aberdeen to Gdansk, there are only four flights per week. Wizz Air tells passengers: 'If the number of volunteers was insufficient and Wizz Air denies your boarding against your will and without reason, you will receive additional assistance.' This includes meals and hotel accommodation if needed and, quaintly, two fax messages.
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Travel + Leisure
07-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
When You Check in for a Flight Matters—Here's Why
Prior to the advent of the Internet, passengers used to have to wait until they were at the airport to check in for their flights. Sounds prehistoric, right? Fortunately, these days, most airlines allow you to check in online, starting at least 24 hours before your flight departs. In fact, they'll even send you emails and texts reminding you to do so. Still, many passengers who are accustomed to checking in at the airport ignore these alerts. Why check in online so far in advance, especially if you have to visit a counter anyway to check a bag? It turns out there are several reasons you should check in early. Ideally, you can pick your seat for free when you purchase your flight, but that's usually not the case if you're flying coach. If you want to save money and are willing to risk getting a middle seat, your seat will most likely be assigned at check in. In most cases, the earlier you check in, the greater your chances of scoring a window or aisle seat. Some airlines, especially if you're flying on an international itinerary with different airlines, don't allow you to choose a seat—even if you're willing to pay for it—until check in. In that case, the sooner you check in, the sooner you can pick one. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines are allowed to oversell flights, within reason, to compensate for no-shows. If there aren't any no-shows, and the plane is overbooked, the airline is allowed to bump passengers to a later flight. One of the criteria they sometimes use to determine who gets bumped is check-in time. If you checked in last, you may be the first to be bumped. Travelers with luggage approaching a check-in counter at the airport. South_agency/Getty Images A spokesperson for Delta tells Travel + Leisure that checking in early in person is also essential if you're checking a bag. 'For most U.S. airports, when traveling domestically, baggage must be checked in at least 45 minutes before scheduled departure time.' If you're flying domestically without checking a bag, you only have to be checked in 30 minutes prior to departure. Why the extra 15 minutes for passengers who want to check a bag? Before your bag is loaded onto the plane, it has to be sorted and go through TSA screening. If you check in after the 45-minute cutoff time, you can still board the flight, but your bag probably won't make it, and there's a good chance you'll have to leave it behind. For international flights, you have to check in even earlier—at least 60 minutes before your scheduled departure—if you're checking a bag. Check-in cutoff times vary by airline, so it's important to be familiar with your airline's policy. You should also look up the requirements for the airport you'll be flying out of. According to the Delta spokesperson, some airports require passengers to check in even earlier than the airlines do. For example, if you're flying domestically out of JFK and are checking a bag, you must be checked in at least 60 minutes prior to the departure time. At LGA, meanwhile, the minimum check-in time for flying domestically with a checked bag is 45 minutes. Even if you selected your seat when you purchased your flight and you're not checking a bag, it's wise to check in as early as possible. For starters, this ensures that as soon as you get to the airport, you can just make your way to security. It may also increase your chances of getting upgraded. Some airlines allow you to request upgrades at check in, and date and time of the upgrade request are often a consideration when it comes to determining who gets upgraded. If there's only room for one more upgrade, and you submit your upgrade request two hours before another passenger with your same status puts in theirs, you may be more likely to get it. It's important to note that just because you check in online 24 hours prior to your flight, that doesn't mean that you can rock up to the airport 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. 'Delta recommends arriving at the airport two hours prior to domestic and three hours prior to international flights,' says the Delta spokesperson. To keep lines at the counter down, the airline also prefers that you check in via the Fly Delta app or at Most airlines share this sentiment. To make the process even more seamless, see if your airline offers an automatic check-in option. For example, Southwest allows passengers to add EarlyBird Check-In, starting around $15 each way, when they purchase their flights. If you get EarlyBird Check-In, which is complimentary in Southwest's 'Anytime' class fares, you'll have peace of mind knowing that you'll be automatically checked in 36 hours before departure. Passengers without this perk can't check in until 24 hours prior to departure. The sooner you check in on Southwest, the sooner you can choose a seat and board the plane, which is helpful when it comes to getting precious overhead bin space. Singapore Airlines, meanwhile, has an auto check-in box under the 'Manage Booking' tab that you can tick after you purchase your flight and up to 48 hours before departure. It doesn't cost extra, and it ensures that you'll be automatically checked in. If you do have to check in at the airport at the last minute, don't stress too much about the long lines at the check-in counters inside. Many airports now have self-serve kiosks where you can check yourself in, so look for those. Major airlines at major airports also have curbside check-in counters where you can check in and drop off any bags you want to check. These curbside counters usually have much shorter lines. It's a convenient service that ranges from free to a few bucks, plus a recommended per-bag tip.
