Overbooked flights result in 6.6 million people being denied boarding at the gate, wreaking havoc on holidays. Overbooking occurs when airlines sell more tickets than seats on the flight, banking on the assumption that some passengers won’t show up. However, if all ticket holders do turn up, the airline is then faced with the task of deciding who to ‘bump’ to a different flight.
But some people may feel they’ve been ‘targeted’ more than others and it could be because of how they are travelling and booking their getaways. A Go.Compare survey found certain types of travellers are more likely to face being ‘bumped’ to different flights due to overbooking, with business people, solo travellers and those not using package holidays most at risk.
Business travellers face the highest risk of being affected by overbooking, with a significant 38% reporting that they’d been bumped at one point or another, a stark increase from the 16% of leisure travellers.
Travelling alone also increases your chances of being bumped, with 21% having experienced this issue.
However, adding more people to the booking isn’t necessarily a foolproof solution, as nearly a quarter of people who had travelled with friends had also experienced the downsides of overbooking.
On the other hand, only 12% of people travelling with their family experienced overbooking, while 16% of those travelling with children had been affected. Those on package holidays also enjoy a lower risk, with just 16% facing overbooking issues.
Go.Compare’s travel insurance expert, Rhys Jones, said: “An airline might decide to deny boarding to a solo traveller over another passenger because it will be easier to rebook one person onto another flight, and it causes the least disruption as they aren’t splitting up a group.
“Some passengers would also require more assistance, like families flying with small children. There isn’t much you can do to prevent this from happening, but knowing your rights can help if it does.”
Passengers who are denied boarding due to overbooking should expect the airline to arrange an alternative flight and offer necessary support or compensation depending on the length of the delay.
It’s important to note that travel insurance typically doesn’t cover overbooking as it falls under the airline’s purview.
Rhys highlighted the potential for compensation in travel mishaps, stating: “If you miss a connection, can’t get to your accommodation in time, or have to cancel part of your trip as a result, it’s also possible that you could claim compensation from your airline for these types of costs. Some insurance policies might offer optional travel disruption cover, which could protect you in the case of overbooking if your airline doesn’t offer you a suitable alternative flight. It’s worth checking if your provider offers this, and the details of what’s included.”