If you experience denied boarding, whether due to overbooking or other reasons, you have the right to file a claim. When an airline prevents you from boarding the plane, it is usually because they have sold more tickets than available seats, a practice known as overbooking. While legal, overbooking comes with a set of rights, and you can make a claim for compensation.
¿How can I claim?
Types of Denied Boarding that can be claimed:
- Overbooking: Overbooking, the sale of more tickets than available seats, is legal but triggers specific rights. Learn more about how to claim for overbooking here.
- Connecting Flight Denial: If you have connecting flights, sometimes you might miss the connection due to tight scheduling or delays. In such cases, you can claim if it’s the airline’s fault.
- Documentation-related Denial: If your travel documents are in order, but airline staff denies you boarding, you can file a claim.
However, there may not be a right to claim if:
- You arrive very close to the flight due to personal reasons, and airline staff denies boarding. You can only claim if the fault lies with the airline, such as in the case of connecting flights, considering that airlines close boarding in advance.
- Immigration authorities (not airline staff) prevent you from boarding for a justified reason, like lacking the required documents to enter the country. If airline staff denies boarding, and your documents are in order, you can claim, providing legitimacy proof for your documents.
Denied Boarding compensation
Compensation for denied boarding is treated similarly to delays or cancellations:
- £250 for flights less than 1500 km
- £400 for flights between 1500 and 3500 km
- £600 for all flights over 3500 km
However, if denied boarding compensation is £250, £400, or £600, it may be reduced by 50% under specific circumstances. For instance:
- If the rescheduled flight arrives with less than 2 hours of delay, you can claim only 50% of the objective compensation (i.e., £125 for a £250 compensation).
- For a £400 compensation, if the rescheduled flight arrives with less than 3 hours of delay, you can claim only 50% of the objective compensation (i.e., £200).
- For a £600 compensation, if the rescheduled flight arrives with less than 4 hours of delay, you can claim only 50% of the objective compensation (i.e., £300).
Tips for Denied Boarding
- If offered compensation, ensure it aligns with the law to avoid waiving additional rights.
- Keep your re-routing boarding pass and all travel documents as proof.
- Obtain a document from the airline confirming the denied boarding if possible.
Warning on Denied Boarding
It is often challenging to prove denied boarding if the airline does not provide free re-routing, as there is no acknowledgment of fault. In such cases, gather as much evidence as possible, file a complaint at the airport, and keep all boarding cards.
