Traveling? 12 Tips to Navigate Flight Cancellations

Traveling? 12 Tips to Navigate Flight Cancellations - MapQuest

June 28, 2023

Travelers often assume that purchasing an airline ticket comes with certain guarantees, like actually boarding the flight, taking off or arriving at your destination — on time. The truth is, in the United States, airlines don't guarantee their schedules. They don't even guarantee you a spot on the plane because it's legal for them to sell more tickets than there are seats.

But you paid for one, so what happens when the airline overbooks? You'll get your money back, right? Not necessarily. The only time an airline is legally bound to compensate you is if you're involuntarily bumped from an oversold domestic flight within the United States.

On oversold flights, the Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines ask ticketed passengers to voluntarily give up their seats in exchange for some sort of compensation before they bump other passengers unwillingly. But there is no mandated amount the airlines are required to give passengers who volunteer their seats.

Most airlines typically start by offering volunteers a seat on a later flight, but in today's chaotic environment that's not a good idea. Instead, if your schedule is flexible and you can give up your seat, negotiate for a specific dollar amount.

"Do not volunteer your seat in exchange for perks or a voucher," says Rosa Garcia, senior legal counsel at AirHelp, a company that advocates for air passenger rights. "If you do, you could be giving up your right to any additional compensation. Of course, if the airline makes a compelling enough offer, you may prefer to take it. The final decision is up to you, but weigh the pros and cons against the compensation you could be eligible to claim."

This "additional compensation" only becomes your right if the airline bumps you unwillingly.

If you're involuntarily bumped, the DOT requires the airline offer you a written statement describing your rights as a passenger. And the airline must, by law, provide you compensation in the form of check or cash. But you must have written confirmation from the airline that you were bumped from the flight involuntarily, so be sure to ask for it.

The amount they must give you depends on the original cost of your ticket and the length of time you were delayed. That amount can be as much as 440 percent of your one-way fare or $1,150, whichever is lower. Keep in mind, however that if the airline can rebook you and get you to your destination within one hour of your original arrival time, you won't be reimbursed.