Know Your Rights When You Fly

Lately, the news has been filled with images of people being removed from an airplane.  I have worked for a major US air carrier since 1989.  I spent most of those years with some sort of direct contact with the customer.  Nine of those years were specifically handling customer correspondence on a corporate and executive level. 

One thing often misunderstood is denied boarding.  Specifically, when a customer denied boarding is entitled to compensation.  First, let me state some of the prerequisites.  You must have a paid ticket.  That is, you cannot travel on a standby ticket.  Standby travel is typically for airline employees, their families and others to whom they can give such travel options.  Also, you must check in for your flight within the established parameters for each airline.  You must be at the gate and on board within established parameters.  (You’d be surprised how many people miss flights because they show up at the gate at the time the plane is scheduled to depart.  You have to be on the plane when it departs which means on board, carry-on luggage stowed and in your seat with your seat belt on.)  If you fail to be at the gate and board the flight on time and miss the flight, you are not entitled to compensation. 

Denied boarding compensation, as prescribed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) is for customers who do not travel on a flight for which they are ticketed due to the flight being oversold by the airline.  The DOT allows air carriers to sell more seats than their planes hold.  However, in making this allowance, they have requirements each airline must follow.  Here are the basics:

1. When it appears the airline has more customers than seats, they must advise customers of the oversold situation and offer for customers to give up their seats in exchange for compensation. 

2. The airline must advise customers if they may be bumped from the flight involuntarily.  If that should happen, what compensation is due. 

3.  The DOT does not have compensation guidelines for people who volunteer. 

4.  Cash compensation must be offered to customers who are denied boarding involuntarily. 

5.  If you are invol’d but the airline can get you to your destination within 1 hour of your original scheduled arrival, no compensation is required by DOT rules. 

6.  If you are invol’d and the airline can get you to your destination between 1 and 2 hours (1-4 hours for international travel) after your original arrival, the airline is required to pay you 200% of the one way fare to your final destination.  There is a $675.00 max.

7.  If you are invol’d and your new travel gets you to your destination more than 2 hours (4 hours for international) later than your original arrival, compensation doubles to 400% for your one way fare with a $1350.00 max.

One final thought regarding denied boarding compensation, if the airline substitutes to a smaller aircraft, denied boarding compensation is not required by DOT rules.

These are the cold and hard facts of the matter.  While they must adhere to DOT rules (and in cases of international travel, the rules of other countries to which they serve) airline need to care about how they treat customers.  They should do what is right for the customer.  Therefore, airlines often will give various forms of compensation or a goodwill gesture for genuine and perceived service failures.

I you ever experience a service failure or are denied boarding a flight, you have every right to not be pleased with the circumstances.  Nevertheless, you should know your rights before you travel.  Here is a link to the DOT information about your rights.  I recommend you read them.