Denied Boarding.
Get Started
Claim Compensation for Denied Boarding
When travelling by air, you might find your journey disrupted by being denied boarding to your flight. This is sometimes caused by airlines trying to maximise their sales and overbooking flights. In order to make use of seats that might be free if a percentage of passengers don’t show up for their flights, airlines often oversell tickets to compensate for this eventuality. When more passengers than predicted arrive to embark, some may end up being denied boarding.
At Flight Patrol, we believe that if you’ve been denied boarding through no fault of your own, it should not be you that carries the cost, but the airline. It’s our aim to make certain every passenger who is denied boarding, is armed with the knowledge necessary of their rights, understands what level of compensation they are eligible for and gets the help they need to claim what is owed to them.
You can learn about your passenger rights in the event that you are denied boarding and find out the quickest way to claim in the following sections:
Passenger compensation for being denied boarding to a flight
Being denied boarding allows passengers the right to claim compensation for their disrupted journey on flights covered by EU Regulation 261 and UK equivalent. The exact amount of denied boarding compensation you are entitled to is dependent on the distance your scheduled flight would have been if you were allowed on board.
If your intended flight was 1,500km or less and you were denied boarding, you are entitled to up to €250 compensation
If your flight was internal to the EU and UK and over 1,500km and you were denied boarding, you are entitled to up to €400 compensation
If your flight was not internal to the EU and UK and between 1,500km and 3,500km and you were denied boarding, you are entitled to up to €400 compensation
If your flight was not internal to the EU and UK over 3,500km and you were denied boarding you are entitled to a maximum of up to €600 compensation
Do I have any additional rights?
EU Regulation 261 and UK equivalent state that passengers suffering a disruption through being denied boarding are eligible for accommodation, and both food and refreshments depending on the details of their flight and the reason they have been denied boarding. Airline companies are obligated to afford passengers the right to 2 telephone calls and access to emails. If are denied boarding and you must stay overnight at the airport, a hotel should be provided by the airline company. Transportation to and from the hotel should also be supplied.
If you are denied boarding, you can request a full and immediate refund of your airfare. This is payable at the price of your original ticket. You can also request a return ticket back to the origin of your departure if necessary.
If the airline offers you an alternative flight and you end up benefiting from an upgrade to your ticket, the company is not permitted to charge you additionally for this. However, if your ticket is downgraded on the new flight, you can be refunded for a percentage of the original ticket you paid.
Flight compensation vouchers
It’s important to never voluntarily give up your seat when you are denied the right to board. While ultimately the acceptance of any offer from the airline is yours to consider, it is worth checking that travel vouchers don’t invalidate your right to claim compensation before you accept them. EU Regulation 261 and UK equivalent clearly state that compensation must be paid by either by cheque, cash or electronic transfer, unless the passenger decides to accept a travel voucher for a new flight instead of such payment.
Filing your claim for being denied the right to board
If, through no fault of your own, you are denied boarding, by following these simple steps, you can ensure you can claim compensation for your disruption.
Make sure you keep all your travel documents, particularly your boarding pass, and request that the airline company representative confirms why you have been denied boarding. While overbooking is the most common reason for being denied, it is not the only one. Ensure you make a note of the specific reason as this may be vital to your claim.
If being denied boarding results in you having to spend significant time at the airport before your new flight, you can request that the airline company pays for overnight accommodation. You can also insist that it pays for your meals and refreshments, but avoid accepting any offers or signing documents that might waive your rights to claim for compensation. If being denied the right to board your flight costs you additional funds, always keep your receipts.
Claim flight compensation assistance with Flight Patrol
While it’s perfectly possible to claim compensation yourself, the paperwork involved can be difficult to locate and who to contact in the matter of your claim can be unclear. If you do manage to make contact with the airline company in question and put forward your compensation application for being denied boarding, there’s a possibility the airline may refute your claim and decline to pay you for your disruption. There have been examples where airlines have been accused of not even responding to claims put forward by passengers.
To simplify the process, you can accept aid from organisations skilled in airline claims such as Flight Patrol. From the first stage to the last, we will fight on your behalf, saving you the time and effort of handling the stressful side of the process.
You can start by letting us know all the details of your denial of boarding through our online contact form. If we agree that you have a case, we’ll get working on it, contacting the airline company and ensuring you receive the exact amount you’re entitled to. If your claim is successful, you’ll receive your compensation. It’s important to note that we charge a service fee of 25% plus VAT of the compensation value, plus an additional admin fee of £25 per passenger.