I was denied boarding because of overbooking — how much am I entitled to?

Short answer: if you were bumped involuntarily, you're entitled to the same fixed compensation as a long delay or cancellation — €250 to €600 — plus the airline still has to get you to your destination or refund your ticket. Overbooking is actually the one case where airlines have almost no way to avoid paying.

Last updated: 30 September 2026.

Why overbooking is different from delays and cancellations

With delays and cancellations, airlines can avoid paying compensation if they prove an "extraordinary circumstance" — bad weather, a strike, a genuinely exceptional technical fault. With denied boarding due to overbooking, that defense essentially doesn't exist. Overbooking is a deliberate commercial decision by the airline: it sells more seats than the aircraft has, betting that some passengers won't show up. When that bet doesn't pay off and someone has to be bumped, that's entirely the airline's own doing — not an external event. So there's no "extraordinary circumstance" to hide behind, and compensation is close to automatic.

Voluntary vs involuntary — this is what actually decides your rights

Before bumping anyone, the airline is required to ask for volunteers first, usually offering some kind of benefit (a travel voucher, a later flight with cash compensation, lounge access, etc.) in exchange for giving up your seat.

If you volunteer and accept whatever the airline offers, you've made your own deal — the fixed EU261 amounts below don't automatically apply, because you agreed to specific terms instead. Read the offer carefully before accepting; it's only a good deal if it's clearly worth more to you than the guaranteed statutory amount.
If you're bumped involuntarily — no one volunteered, or not enough people did, and you were selected against your will — you're entitled to the full fixed compensation, no negotiation needed.

What you're entitled to if you were bumped involuntarily

Three separate things apply, all at once:

Fixed compensation, based on flight distance: €250 (up to 1500 km), €400 (1500–3500 km), or €600 (over 3500 km) — the same tiers as for delays and cancellations.
Your choice of either a full refund of your ticket (if the flight is now useless to you) or re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible, or at a later date of your choosing.
Care while you wait: meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary, transport to and from the hotel, and two free phone calls or emails.

These are independent rights — accepting a refund or re-routing doesn't reduce the compensation amount, and vice versa.

What does NOT count as denied boarding for compensation purposes

Being refused boarding for a valid reason unrelated to overbooking — invalid travel documents, health or security concerns, failure to meet check-in deadlines;
Voluntarily giving up your seat and accepting the airline's offer instead of the statutory compensation.

What to actually do if this happens to you

Get it in writing at the airport. Ask the airline for a written statement confirming you were denied boarding involuntarily due to overbooking, with the flight details and date. Airlines are required to provide this.
Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation — you'll need proof you actually held a valid, confirmed reservation.
Don't feel pressured to accept a voucher on the spot if you'd rather have the cash compensation — you're entitled to ask what your options are before deciding.

Frequently asked

What if the airline says the flight was overbooked due to a schedule change, not deliberately?

It doesn't matter why the aircraft ended up with more confirmed passengers than seats — the compensation rules for denied boarding apply the same way regardless of the specific cause, since there's no extraordinary-circumstances exception for this category.

Can the airline choose who gets bumped?

Yes, if not enough passengers volunteer, the airline can select who is denied boarding — but everyone selected involuntarily is entitled to the same compensation and care described above.

I was downgraded to a lower class instead of being denied boarding entirely — does that count?

That's a different situation (involuntary downgrading), with its own compensation rules based on a percentage of the ticket price rather than the fixed amounts above. Check your specific case when you submit your details.

Want the complete picture, not just this one situation? See our full EU261 guide, or check your flight directly below.

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