With the summer holiday season in full swing, research shows more than 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 Go.Compare, which analysed data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), around 20.9 million people a year have been affected by overbooked flights.
Of those, more than 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 Go.Compare 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.
