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I was bumped from an oversold US flight. What compensation is owed, and when must it be paid?

By QuicklyClaim Editorial Team · Updated 2026-10-18 · Rules checked against the official sources on 2026-10-08

Compensation depends on your new arrival time. Arrive no later than one hour late: none required. More than one hour but less than two hours late: at least 200 percent of fare or $1,075, whichever is lower. If no alternate transportation is planned to arrive less than two hours late: at least 400 percent or $2,150, whichever is lower.

The free official routeYou do not need to pay anyone to get an airline refund. When the airline owes it, the rules require the airline to issue it automatically, without you asking.

Key facts

No compensation is required if alternate transportation is planned to arrive no later than one hour after the original planned arrival.
More than one hour but less than two hours late: at least 200 percent of fare or $1,075, whichever is lower.
If no alternate transportation is planned to arrive less than two hours late: at least 400 percent or $2,150, whichever is lower.
Payment must be offered in cash or an immediately negotiable check on the day and at the place of bumping.
If the alternate transportation leaves before payment can be prepared, payment must be sent within 24 hours.

What compensation is owed when you are bumped from an oversold US flight?

Under the US denied boarding rules, if you are bumped involuntarily from an oversold flight within the United States, compensation depends on how late the alternate transportation is planned to arrive compared with your original flight's planned arrival.

If the airline offers alternate transportation planned to arrive no later than one hour after the original flight's planned arrival, no denied boarding compensation is required.
If the alternate transportation is planned to arrive more than one hour but less than two hours late, compensation must be at least 200 percent of the fare to the destination or first stopover, or $1,075, whichever is lower.
If the airline does not offer alternate transportation planned to arrive less than two hours late, compensation must be at least 400 percent of the fare to the destination or first stopover, or $2,150, whichever is lower.

When must the airline pay denied boarding compensation, and how?

Denied boarding compensation must be offered in cash or an immediately negotiable check on the day and at the place the bumping happens.

If the passenger's alternate transportation leaves before payment can be prepared, payment must be sent within 24 hours.

An airline may offer free or reduced-rate air travel instead of cash only if its value is at least the cash amount due and the airline tells the passenger the cash amount and that the passenger may decline the travel offer and take the cash or check.

The eligibility limits in the rule

The facts set out several situations in which a bumped passenger is not eligible for denied boarding compensation:

If the passenger did not fully comply with the airline's ticketing, reconfirmation, check-in and acceptability rules.
If a smaller aircraft was substituted for operational or safety reasons.
If the airline seated the passenger in another section at no extra charge.

These limits sit alongside the compensation amounts. If one of them applies, the denied boarding compensation described above is not required.

What goes wrong and how to avoid it

One common problem is accepting a travel offer without being told the cash amount. The rule permits an airline to offer free or reduced-rate air travel instead of cash only if its value is at least the cash amount due and the airline tells the passenger the cash amount and that the passenger may decline the travel offer and take the cash or check.

Another is missing the payment timing. Payment must be offered in cash or an immediately negotiable check on the day and at the place the bumping happens. If the alternate transportation leaves before payment can be prepared, it must be sent within 24 hours.

A third is overlooking the eligibility limits: compensation is not required if the passenger did not fully comply with the airline's ticketing, reconfirmation, check-in and acceptability rules, if a smaller aircraft was substituted for operational or safety reasons, or if the airline seated the passenger in another section at no extra charge.

When is it worth paying for help with an oversold flight compensation claim?

You do not need to pay anyone to get an airline refund. When the airline owes it, the rules require the airline to issue it automatically, without you asking.

The compensation rules above set out what the airline must offer and when. If you are unsure whether a payment you received matches those rules, you can check the amounts and timing against the facts on this page before deciding whether to seek paid help.

Frequently asked questions

What if I volunteered to give up my seat?

The compensation rules described here apply to passengers bumped involuntarily from an oversold flight. The verified facts do not address volunteer bumping.

Can the airline pay me with a travel voucher instead of cash?

What if the airline says I am not eligible because I did not check in on time?

A bumped passenger is not eligible for denied boarding compensation if they did not fully comply with the airline's ticketing, reconfirmation, check-in and acceptability rules. The same applies if a smaller aircraft was substituted for operational or safety reasons, or if the airline seated the passenger in another section at no extra charge.

How late must I arrive to get the higher 400 percent compensation?

If the airline does not offer alternate transportation planned to arrive less than two hours late, compensation must be at least 400 percent of the fare to the destination or first stopover, or $2,150, whichever is lower.