People who travel by air may sometimes encounter an overbooked flight. How should you deal with this issue? Is it really necessary to give up your seat? Here are some case studies:
People who travel by air may sometimes encounter an overbooked flight. How should you deal with this issue? Is it really necessary to give up your seat? Here are some case studies:
1. United Airlines overbooking
On April 11 2017, passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville were told that the flight was overbooked. As a randomly selected “volunteer”, designated by a computer to give up his seat, an Asian doctor was yanked from his seat onto the floor and dragged off, reported the BBC.
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The following Monday, the CEO of United apologized for what had happened. One of the security officers involved in the incident was suspended, said the Chicago Department of Aviation in a statement.
2. Why do flights overbook?
Since the cause of this incident was an overbooked flight, here is something that everyone should know about this. Ticket overbooking is caused by airline companies. It is considered a standard “industry practice”, mainly to avoid loss of income from passengers who booked ticket but don’t use them. To ensure the airline can fill up their planes with as many passengers as possible, companies will sell more tickets than actual available seats.
3. How do airlines deal with overbooking?
1. Passengers on overbooked flights should be given notice at the time of checking in, not after passengers have begun to board the plane.
2. When there are not enough seats available, the airline staff will first call for volunteers to give up their seat by offering some benefits. If lucky enough, passengers without assigned seats can be issued a free upgrade to First or Business Class. Their seats will then be offered to those whose original seats were overbooked.
3. If there are no (or not enough) volunteers, airlines will then deny certain passengers from boarding a flight according to the Boarding Priority sequence, which varies from airline to airline. In most cases, frequent fliers and higher fare-paying passengers are given priority to stay aboard.
Usual solutions regarding overbooking include:
- The affected passengers are offered the option of switching their ticket to the next flight to their destination.
- Free accommodation will be provided if the next flight is scheduled on the next day.
- The affected passenger can receive a full refund for the flight ticket without charge.
- Compensation in the form of cash or air mileage, depending on which airline is doing the issuing.
4. How to defend our rights?
1. Check in online in advance, or arrive at the airport as early as possible to check in. When overbooking occurs, earlier passengers are more likely to stay aboard.
2. For some popular airlines, purchasing higher-priced tickets are recommended to retain your seat. As mentioned earlier, higher fare-paying passengers are given priority to stay.
3. If you do get bumped, remember to ask for reasonable solutions and compensation. If the airline doesn’t take the problem seriously and does not provide satisfactory solutions, protect yourself by seeking legal help.
