What to do if…
your flight is overbooked and you are being denied boarding

What to do now

1. Show you were ready to travel.
   Keep your boarding pass, booking reference, passport or travel document, and any proof that you were at the gate on time. Make a quick timestamped note of the gate, the time, and the name or role of the staff member you spoke to.

2. Ask whether this is voluntary or involuntary.
   Say: “Am I being asked to volunteer, or am I being denied boarding without agreeing?”

   • If you are being asked to volunteer, you can decide whether the offer is worth accepting.
   • If you are being denied boarding without agreeing, UK passenger-rights rules may apply if the flight is covered by UK law, you met the airline’s check-in and gate deadlines, and the denial is not for a reasonable ground such as safety, security, health, or inadequate travel documents.

3. If it is a volunteer offer, make the deal clear before saying yes.
   Ask staff to put these points in writing:

   • the exact replacement flight and whether your seat is confirmed or standby,
   • what you will receive, such as cash, voucher, points, hotel, meals, or transport,
   • any voucher limits, expiry dates, blackout dates, or booking restrictions,
   • when and how you will receive the payment or voucher,
   • what happens to checked baggage and any connecting flight.

4. If it is involuntary, choose rerouting or refund and say it plainly.
   Say either: “I want rerouting to my destination as soon as possible,” or “I want a refund.”
   For covered flights, the airline should offer a choice between:

   • rerouting under comparable conditions, either as soon as possible or at a later date that suits you, or
   • a refund within 7 days for the unused parts of the ticket. If you are part-way through a journey and the flight no longer serves a purpose, ask whether return transport to your first departure point applies.

5. Ask for care and assistance while you wait.
   If you choose rerouting as soon as possible and have to wait, ask the airline to provide or confirm reimbursement for:

   • reasonable food and drink,
   • a way to communicate,
   • hotel accommodation if you are rerouted the next day,
   • transport to and from the accommodation.

6. Keep any self-funded spending modest and documented.
   If staff cannot provide care at the airport, ask them how reimbursement works before you spend money. Keep receipts for reasonable essentials only, such as meals, transport to a hotel, or basic overnight needs.

7. Get the denial recorded.
   Ask for a written note, email, app message, or case reference saying you were denied boarding or bumped, the stated reason, and whether it was due to overbooking, an aircraft change, or another lack-of-space issue.

8. Check the replacement itinerary before leaving the desk.
   Confirm the departure airport, arrival airport, final destination, connection times, baggage status, seat confirmation, and whether you need to collect or re-check bags.

9. Use the airline’s official support channel while still at the airport.
   Open the airline app, website chat, desk complaint route, or phone line and get the case logged in real time. Save screenshots of the conversation and any booking changes.