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Overbooked flight compensation

Sometimes, airlines overbook their flights for optimisation purposes, such as when passengers that bought tickets don’t show up for the flight and there are free seats on the plane as a result. Also, when airlines don’t sell enough tickets on a bigger plane and decide to use a smaller one for that particular flight. If flight attendants ask for volunteers to take another plane, it’s a sign that the flight is overbooked. If all passengers show up for the flight, some might be denied boarding. Airlines may offer travel vouchers, which might sound like a good deal, but it’s possible that the airline will offer you less than you are eligible to receive in compensation under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

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What are my rights if my flight is overbooked?

  • You may receive up to $665 in compensation.
  • You can get a refund for your ticket or the airline might offer you alternative transportation.
  • The airline must provide food and beverages if the flight was delayed for more than 2 hours.
  • The airline must provide you with hotel accommodation and transportation from and to the airport if your alternative flight on the next day.
Start Your Claim

What to do if my flight is overbooked?

  • Do not voluntarily give away your seat in return for travel vouchers.
  • Keep your boarding pass and any other travel documents with you.
  • Ask airline staff why you were denied boarding in writing.
  • Ask for an alternative flight to your destination.
  • Request compensation for being denied boarding.
  • Ask if the airline will cover your meals and refreshments.
  • Request the airline to provide you with accommodation if you will be waiting for your alternative flight overnight.
  • Keep your receipts if you have additional expenses.
Calculate Compensation

Can I get overbooked flight compensation?

You can get compensated if:

  • You departed from the EU (with any airline) or arrived in the EU (provided that the airline is based in the EU).
  • You didn’t volunteer to give up your seat in return for vouchers or other benefits.
  • You were not denied boarding for a reason which was under your control (e.g. you were late at the departure gate, or your documentation was incorrect).
  • The overbooked flight was no more than 3 years ago.
  • You haven’t yet received compensation for the overbooked flight from the airline.
Claim Now

What happens if my flight is overbooked and how much compensation can I get for being denied boarding?

 

If you’re eligible for overbooked flight compensation, the amount depends on two factors: travel distance and if your flight is within the EU or not.

 

Distance

Compensation

Flights 1,500 km or less

$280

Internal EU flights more than 1,500 km

$445

Non-internal EU flights 1,500 — 3,500 km

$445

Non-internal EU flights more than 3,500 km

$665

TOP overbooked flight questions

How to claim compensation for an overbooked flight?
If your flight is overbooked, you have several options
Voluntary boarding denials are not covered
What’s the difference between overbooking and denied boarding?
For which flights can I get compensation under EC 261?
What if I get a higher or lower class seat on the alternative flight?
Air passenger rights: food, beverages and accommodation
Find more answers here

Meet our users

548 Reviews 4.8/5TrustScore
Maja Eppley

Really helped us during a stressful…

Really helped us during a stressful time!

Valborg Christina

Very satisfied with you!

Very satisfied with you!! I am so happy with the compensation!!

Fredrik

Quick, smooth and very supportive.

Quick, smooth and very supportive. Even though I could fight the airline myself (and have done so in the past) Ifdelayed made it so much easier and totally worth the cost!

Handelsbanken

Value to our customers

Using Ifdelayed gives true value to our customers. Their service is easy to use and helps passengers claim compensation in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight. It also saves time, as it can be difficult to claim compensation on your own to the airline. It’s also valuable for us to have a partner who can guide our clients when it comes to their rights and options in these cases.

Souha Raad

I was so satisfied by the service of…

I was so satisfied by the service of Ifdelayed. Com. Excellent work!

sead

I had a delayed flight with Thomas Cook…

I had a delayed flight with Thomas Cook and got full refund with the help of ifdelayed. I can really recommend their service, smooth, and straightforward use,

Somia Tayyaba

Good

I got my claim very quickly.

Alla Dorodny

A great service helped me get…

A great service helped me get compensated

Kai Tapper

They got me my Money back!

It took them around 6 months to do it but it was worth the wait.
Just got a reply that they managed to get me 600£ back.

To know that someone out there was willing to go help the ones who can’t do this themselves for a small fee. It’s very comforting.

Now i know i can rely on someone if there’s delays in the future!

Matt

Money in the bank…

Money in the bank about three months later! My only criticism would be the lack of status updates throughout the process, otherwise top notch.

Andrea

They do what they promise and they do…

They do what they promise and they do it well. A wonderful discovery. Highly reccomended.

Faisal Al-Safi

Quick service and overall smooth

The overall process was easy and effective.

BlueSky Tourism

Great company to work with

Ifdelayed is a great company to work with. They help our clients when they get delayed at the airport. They have a claim form with user-friendly UI that’s easy to follow when trying to file a claim. Their claim processing times are quick, and they push hard to win every claim.

Ann

Trustpilot. Your friendly service!

Very helpful, trustable and super realiable service. It’s very seldom that you find a great service as this nowadays. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Marcus Ekelund

Good service

I used Ifdelayed after my family was stranded on a small airport in South France. They handled everything smoothly and even sued in court. In the end I got all the money I was supposed to get..

kund

Tank you very much

Tank you very much, I got my compensation.

Naila Mackie

Excellent service

Excellent service. Will use IfDelayed another time also.

Victor Thorsell

Excellent service

Very satisfied with the help we get!

Read all 548 TrustPilot reviews (Excellent)
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en del av

Välkommen

I samarbete med Insurello hjälper vi dig att söka ersättning för din flygförsening från flygbolaget. Upp till €600 per passagerare.

Det kostar ingenting att söka men lyckas vi hjälpa dig få ersättning behåller vi 30% av ersättningsbeloppet.

För att starta ett ärende behöver vi information om din resa.

Klicka "Fortsätt" för att komma igång.

is an official flight claim partner of

Välkommen

I samarbete med Solid Försäkring hjälper vi dig att söka ersättning för din flygförsening från flygbolaget. Upp till €600 per passagerare.

Det kostar ingenting att söka men lyckas vi hjälpa dig få ersättning behåller vi 30% av ersättningsbeloppet.

För att starta ett ärende behöver vi information om din resa.

Klicka "fortsätt" för att komma igång.

is an official flight claim partner of

Velkommen

I samarbejde med Solid Forsikring hjælper vi dig med at søge erstatning fra flyselskabet når dit fly har været forsinket. Man kan få op til €600 per passager.

Det er helt gratis at søge, men lykkes vi med at sikre dig erstatning tager vi et servicegebyr på 30% af erstatningsbeløbet.

For at oprette en sag har vi brug for information om din rejse.

Klik “fortsæt” for at komme i gang.

is an official flight claim partner of

Velkommen

I samarbeid med Solid Försäkring hjelper vi deg med å søke om kompensasjon for flyforsinkelsen din fra flyselskapet. Opptil € 600 per passasjer.

Det koster ingenting å søke, men hvis vi lykkes med å hjelpe deg med å få kompensasjon, vil vi beholde 30% av kompensasjonsbeløpet.

For å starte trenger vi informasjon om reisen din.

Klikk “Fortsett” for å komme i gang.

is an official flight claim partner of

ENGLISHVälkommen

ENGLISH med Solid Försäkring hjälper vi dig att söka ersättning för din flygförsening. Det kostar ingenting söka men lyckas vi hjälpa dig få ersättning tar vi 30% av beloppet.

Välkommen

I samarbete med Handelsbanken hjälper vi dig att söka ersättning för din flygförsening. Det kostar ingenting söka men lyckas vi hjälpa dig få ersättning tar vi 24% av beloppet.

is an official flight claim partner of

Välkommen

I samarbete med Solid Försäkring hjälper vi dig att söka ersättning för din flygförsening. Det kostar ingenting söka men lyckas vi hjälpa dig få ersättning tar vi 30% av beloppet.