Denied Boarding? You're Owed Compensation

What Is Denied Boarding?

Denied boarding (also called "bumping") occurs when an airline sells more tickets than available seats on a flight. When all passengers show up, some are involuntarily prevented from boarding. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, this gives you strong compensation rights.

Your Rights When Denied Boarding

If you were involuntarily denied boarding, you're entitled to:

• Immediate cash compensation of €250 to €600 (based on flight distance)
• Choice of: Full ticket refund OR rebooking on the next available flight
• Care and assistance: Meals, refreshments, hotel if overnight wait, and communication

Voluntary vs. Involuntary Denied Boarding

There's an important distinction:

• Involuntary: The airline selected you without your agreement — you're entitled to full compensation
• Voluntary: You agreed to give up your seat in exchange for benefits (vouchers, upgrades, etc.) — compensation depends on the deal you accepted

Tip: If the airline asks for volunteers, don't accept the first offer. You can negotiate. And if you didn't volunteer, don't let the airline pressure you into accepting vouchers instead of cash compensation.

When You're NOT Covered

You may not be entitled to compensation if:

• You arrived late for check-in or boarding
• You didn't have valid travel documents (passport, visa)
• You posed a health or safety risk
• You voluntarily accepted the airline's offer

Denied Boarding Is the One Case Where Payment Is Immediate

Unlike delays and cancellations, denied boarding under Article 4 has no "extraordinary circumstances" escape. If you had a confirmed booking, presented yourself at the gate on time and were refused a seat against your will, the airline owes compensation on the spot — plus a refund or re-routing and care while you wait. Airlines overbook because a predictable share of passengers does not turn up; when the prediction fails, the regulation makes the airline, not the passenger, carry the cost.

Volunteers First: How the Airline Should Handle It

1. The airline must first call for volunteers and negotiate benefits with them (typically a voucher or cash plus a later flight). Volunteers give up the fixed compensation in exchange for whatever they agree — so if you volunteer, ask for more than the statutory amount, because the airline is avoiding it.
2. Only if there are not enough volunteers may the airline deny boarding to passengers against their will. Those passengers get the full Article 7 compensation immediately, in cash, cheque or bank transfer (vouchers only with written agreement).
3. They also choose between a refund and re-routing, and receive care — meals, calls, a hotel if needed — until the replacement flight.

What Counts as Denied Boarding — and What Doesn't

Situation	Denied boarding?
Overbooked flight, you are bumped although you checked in on time	Yes — full compensation immediately
Aircraft swapped for a smaller one, not enough seats	Yes — treated as denied boarding (Finnair v Lassooy, C-22/11)
Airline refuses boarding on your rebooked flight because the earlier leg was disrupted	Yes — the reason must relate to you, not to the airline's operations
You arrived at the gate after it closed	No — you did not present yourself on time
Passport or visa problems; the destination country would refuse you entry	No — reasonable grounds; but if the airline was wrong about the documents, you can claim
Intoxication, safety or security reasons	No, where the grounds are genuine
"No-show" of the outbound flight, return flight cancelled by the airline	Contested — several courts have found the practice unfair; ask us

Examples with Amounts

• London Heathrow–Dubai, overbooked, put on a flight 9 hours later: £520 immediately plus a hotel day room and meals.
• Madrid–Lisbon, aircraft downgauged from an A320 to an A319, 12 passengers left behind: €250 each, plus re-routing on a competitor that afternoon.
• Frankfurt–Bangkok, airline claimed a passport "would not be accepted" although it was valid: €600, after the airline was shown the entry rules.

What to Do at the Gate

Ask the agent to confirm in writing that you are being denied boarding involuntarily and why. Photograph your boarding pass or check-in confirmation with the time. Do not accept a voucher unless the airline confirms it is in addition to the statutory compensation. If the airline does not pay at the airport — most do not — the claim is straightforward afterwards because there is no "extraordinary circumstances" argument to have; it is simply a question of whether you were bumped.