No matter how cheap your cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages are it is extremely frustrating when you are involuntarily bumped from your airline seat. The DOT (Department of Transportation) has announced a new rule increasing the maximum compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights from a range of $400 to $800 to $650 to $1,300. Compensation will vary depending on the duration of the delay.
Even though bumping is down over the last 10 years, it has increased recently, rising in three of the last four years, up 10 percent in 09 to over 762 thousand. Bumpings were up 17 percent in the first quarter of this year.
Being bumped is more challenging these days because with the reduction in the number of flights, planes are more crowded than ever, meaning bumped passengers may have to wait hours or even days before getting seated on another flight.
Airlines sell more tickets than they have seats on many flights because some passengers do not show up for their scheduled flights. Passenger rights groups want the government to limit the number of extra seats airlines sell on any given flight. Airlines claim that this is unrealistic because the no show rates vary by route, day and hour.
Airlines first ask for volunteers when a flight is overbooked before involuntarily bumping passengers holding tickets. Volunteers often receive travel vouchers whereas passengers involuntarily bumped are paid in cash or check.
One in every 763 passengers was bumped in 09. The increased bumping reimbursement is expected to go into effect this fall.
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