Denied boarding compensation: up to €600 when you are bumped
If the airline refused you boarding against your will on a flight you held a confirmed seat on, EU261 or UK261 may entitle you to fixed compensation — on top of a refund or rerouting, and care.
Checked by the FlightCompensations editorial team
Last updated 1 July 2026 · Editorial & corrections policy
What does the airline owe you for involuntary denied boarding?
Key takeaways
- Involuntary denied boarding (being bumped) is compensable; voluntarily giving up your seat for a benefit is not.
- You need a confirmed reservation and to have checked in / arrived at the gate on time.
- Amounts are €250, €400 or €600 based on flight distance, and are due immediately, not just as a refund.
- You also keep the right to a refund or rerouting and to care (meals, and accommodation where needed).
- Refusal for valid reasons — missing documents, safety, health, or late gate arrival — is not compensable denied boarding.
When is being bumped from a flight compensated?
May qualify for compensation
- You had a confirmed booking on the flight.
- You presented for boarding on time (met the check-in and gate deadlines).
- The airline refused you boarding against your will, typically because it had oversold the flight.
- The flight departed the EU/EEA or UK, arrived in the EU/EEA on an EU carrier, or arrived in the UK on a UK or EU carrier.
- There were no reasonable grounds — such as documents, health or safety — for the refusal.
Usually excluded
- You volunteered to surrender your seat in return for benefits (the agreed deal then takes the place of your compensation rights).
- You were reasonably refused because of missing or invalid travel documents (passport, visa).
- The airline refused boarding on health, safety or security grounds, or the authorities ordered it.
- You arrived at the gate after the stated boarding deadline or failed to check in on time.
- The flight had no qualifying EU/EEA or UK connection under the regulations.
Which rules apply to your flight?
EU Regulation 261/2004 makes airlines call for volunteers first. The airline then owes fixed compensation to every passenger it bumps against their will, provided they held a confirmed booking and presented on time.
Compensation of €250–€600 by distance is due in addition to a refund or rerouting and to care. The Court has confirmed denied-boarding rights are not limited to overbooking and can extend to other operational reasons for refusing a confirmed passenger.
How much denied boarding compensation do you get?
EU261 / UK261 denied-boarding compensation by flight distance
| Flight | Amount |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km (and all intra-EU over 1,500 km) | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |
Article 7(2) can halve the amount where rerouting gets you to your destination within limited extra time. Per passenger and illustrative until verified.
What should you do at the gate, and afterwards?
- 1Ask the airline, in writing, for the reason the airline denied you boarding.
- 2Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation as proof of a confirmed seat.
- 3Do not sign away your rights before understanding what a 'volunteer' deal gives up.
- 4Note the times you checked in and reached the gate.
- 5Keep receipts for meals, refreshments and any accommodation.
Which documents should you keep?
How do you claim?
- 1Enter your flight number and date to get a preliminary assessment.
- 2Tell us whether the airline bumped you or you volunteered, and add your documents.
- 3We prepare and submit the claim to the airline and follow up.
- 4If we recover compensation, you receive the airline's award and pay our fixed €39 fee.
Frequently asked questions
I was denied boarding — am I owed compensation?
If the airline bumped you against your will — valid ticket, checked in on time, flight oversold — it owes €250–€600 straight away. Rerouting or a refund follows, and care while you wait. If you volunteered your seat in exchange for the airline's offer, that agreed deal applies instead.
What's the difference between volunteering and being bumped?
If you accept a benefit to give up your seat, you volunteered and take that deal instead of fixed compensation. If the airline refused you against your will despite a confirmed seat, that is involuntary denied boarding — and it may be compensable.
I was refused because my passport was expiring — can I claim?
Generally no. Refusal on reasonable grounds such as missing or invalid travel documents, health, safety or security is not compensable denied boarding.
Do I still get a refund or another flight?
Yes. Denied-boarding compensation is separate from your right to choose a refund or rerouting, and to receive care such as meals while you wait.
I arrived at the gate late and the airline refused me — does that count?
Usually not. If you missed the boarding deadline or did not check in on time, the refusal is generally not treated as compensable denied boarding.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — the regulation itself, in every EU language
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — passenger rights — the UK regulator's own guidance and complaint route
Does your flight qualify?
Free in about 15 seconds. You receive the airline's compensation and pay only our fixed €39 fee after success.
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