Overbooking compensation: what an oversold flight owes you
Airlines routinely sell more seats than a plane has. If overbooking cost you a confirmed seat against your will, EU261 or UK261 may entitle you to fixed compensation, plus a refund or rerouting and care.
Checked by the FlightCompensations editorial team
Last updated 1 July 2026 · Editorial & corrections policy
What are your airline overbooking rights, and what overbooked flight compensation is due?
Key takeaways
- Overbooking is legal, but being bumped involuntarily from an oversold flight can trigger compensation.
- You must have a confirmed reservation and have checked in / reached the gate on time.
- Airlines must first ask for volunteers before bumping anyone against their will.
- Involuntary bumping pays €250, €400 or €600 by distance; volunteering pays whatever you agree instead.
- You also keep the right to a refund or rerouting and to care (meals, and accommodation where needed).
When is overbooking compensation due?
May qualify for compensation
- You held a confirmed booking on the oversold flight.
- You checked in and presented at the gate on time.
- You were denied boarding involuntarily because the flight was overbooked.
- 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.
- You did not accept a voluntary offer to surrender your seat.
Usually excluded
- You volunteered to give up your seat in exchange for benefits (that agreement replaces fixed compensation).
- You did not check in on time or arrived at the gate after the boarding deadline.
- You had no confirmed reservation for the flight.
- Boarding was refused on reasonable grounds such as documents, health, safety or security rather than overbooking.
- The flight had no qualifying EU/EEA or UK connection under the regulations.
Which rules apply to your flight?
Under EU Regulation 261/2004 the airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats for an agreed benefit. It then owes fixed compensation to anyone it bumps against their will.
Involuntary denied boarding from overbooking pays €250–€600 by distance. You also get a refund or rerouting, plus care — provided you held a confirmed booking and presented on time.
How much compensation can you get?
EU261 / UK261 overbooking (denied-boarding) compensation by 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 |
Amounts may be reduced by 50% where rerouting limits the extra time to your destination under Article 7(2). Per passenger and illustrative until verified.
What should you do when you are bumped for overbooking?
- 1Ask the airline to confirm, in writing, that overbooking caused the denied boarding.
- 2Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation as proof of a confirmed seat.
- 3Weigh any 'volunteer' offer carefully before accepting — it can replace your fixed rights.
- 4Note your check-in and gate times.
- 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 you were bumped involuntarily or 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
Is it legal for airlines to overbook?
Yes. Selling more seats than the aircraft holds is permitted, but if it results in involuntary denied boarding of a confirmed passenger, compensation may be due.
Should I volunteer to be bumped?
That's your choice. Volunteering means you accept the airline's offered benefit instead of the fixed €250–€600 compensation, so weigh the deal against what you might otherwise be owed.
How is the US different?
The US requires denied-boarding compensation too. It works out as a percentage of your fare, set by how late you arrive and limited by a cap, rather than by the EU's fixed distance bands.
Do I still get home if I'm bumped?
Yes. Alongside any compensation you can choose a refund or rerouting to your destination and are entitled to care such as meals while you wait.
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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