Overview

• Go.Compare’s analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data shows that airlines deny boarding to about 6.6 million ticketed passengers every year due to overbooking.
• Overbooking assumes a proportion of no-shows but leads to excessive passenger counts when flights fill to capacity.
• Airlines rebook 84% of bumped passengers but leave roughly one million travelers annually without alternate flights.
• Almost two-thirds of passengers who are not rebooked report financial losses and fewer than half submit claims to their travel insurers.
• Passengers are entitled to compensation and assistance; they should document overbooking incidents, save receipts and escalate unresolved complaints to the CAA or an ADR scheme.