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United isn’t the only airline who does this kind of thing — though it’s not usual practice in Australia. Picture: AFP/Getty/Justin Sullivan
AIRLINES in the United States often oversell flights on purpose, only to kick paid passengers off — but no other incident has attracted as much attention as the man who was dragged off a plane in Chicago last week.
Video posted on Facebook showed the shock on the faces of other passengers as the man, understood to be a doctor, was dragged off the plane kicking and screaming after he refused to give up his paid seat on an overbooked flight.
And it created a public relations nightmare for the airline as news of the video spread.
Airlines in the United States are allowed to oversell flights, and they frequently do, because they assume that some passengers won’t show up.
While it is not a practice among airlines in Australia, in the US, airlines bumped 40,000 passengers last year, not counting those who volunteered to give up their seats.
United Airlines — the centre of the current controversy — booted 3765 passengers off flights just last year.
“Being thrown off a flight because of overbooking is a common scenario in the US, but rarely, if ever, seen in Australia,†finder.com.au’s travel expert Angus Kidman told news.com.au.
“Our consumer laws provide better protection than what is available in the US so it’s highly unlikely we’d see this happen Down Under.
“However, it’s definitely something Australians need to be conscious of when booking US flights.â€
He was literally dragged off after refusing to surrender his spot on the flight. Picture: Audra D. Bridges via APSource:AP
The man, a doctor, was told he had to give up his paid seat as the flight was overbooked. Picture: Audra D. Bridges via APSource:AP
VOLUNTEERS
When they know a flight is oversold, US airlines will ask for volunteers to give up their seat, usually for a travel voucher or other reward, and a seat on a later flight.
According to the government, 434,000 passengers voluntarily gave up seats on America’s largest 12 airlines last year, including nearly 63,000 on United.
The champion of overbookers was Delta Air Lines — about 130,000 passengers on Delta gave up their seats last year.
When voluntary offers don’t work, the airlines can deny boarding — or bump — passengers against their will. That appears to be what happened before Sunday night’s United flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky.
In those cases, federal rules spell out how much the airline must pay each passenger. Airlines must give bumped passengers a written statement that explains their compensation rights.
COMPENSATION
Compensation varies by how long the passenger will be delayed. If the airline can rebook the passenger and get him to his destination within an hour of his originally scheduled arrival time, no compensation is required.
United isn’t the only airline who does this kind of thing — though it’s not usual practice in Australia. Picture: AFP/Getty/Justin SullivanSource:AFP
If the passenger will arrive between one and two hours later than planned — or between one and four hours for an international flight — the airline must pay the passenger twice the amount of the one-way fare to his destination, up to $675 (A$899).
If the passenger will be delayed more than two hours — or four hours for international flights — the airline must pay him four times the one-way fare, up to $1350 (A$1798).
AVOIDING GETTING BUMPED
Airlines will usually bump people flying on the cheapest tickets because the required compensation will be lower. Carriers have other rules, too.
United Airlines says that when deciding who gets bumped, it considers how long it will take for passengers to reach their destination on a later flight, it won’t break up a family group, and won’t bump minors who are travelling alone.
Airlines are most likely to oversell flights during busy travel periods such as the US “spring break†and the summer holiday season, but bumping can happen any time there is bad weather that causes some flights to be cancelled.
IF YOU WANT TO BE BUMPED
Some savvy travellers see oversold flights as an opportunity — for them. They’ll give up their seats if the airline makes a sweet enough offer. Some check their flight’s seating chart ahead of time to see if it’s sold out.
If you aim to be bumped, sit near the gate agent’s desk so you can pounce before other passengers take that offer of travel vouchers, gift cards, and sometimes cash. If offered a spot on a later flight, make sure it’s a confirmed seat. And don’t check a bag.