Denied boarding compensation: Enforce your rights easily

Denied boarding compensation: Rights and entitlements at a glance

• Entitlement: If you were denied boarding against your will, even though you checked in on time and were punctual at the gate.
• Amount of your compensation: €250, €400 or €600 per person – depending on the flight distance (according to EC Regulation 261/2004).
• Additional rights: Choice between reimbursement of the ticket price or rebooking/alternative transport to the final destination.
• Care services: Meals, drinks, hotel accommodation if necessary & transport to the alternative flight.
• No entitlement: If the denial occurred for safety, health or visa reasons or if you did not show up for boarding on time.
• Tip: In the case of a voluntary rebooking in exchange for a voucher or bonus, the right to compensation often lapses – so check the agreement carefully!

Am I entitled to compensation for denied boarding?

• You were denied boarding against your will, even though you checked in on time and were punctual at the gate.
• There was no voluntary waiver of the flight (e.g. in exchange for a voucher or bonus service).
• The cause is not due to security, health, or visa issues.
• Your flight departs from the EU or lands in the EU (with a European airline) and therefore falls under EU Regulation 261/2004.

Denied boarding definition

According to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation, denied boarding is defined as a situation in which, despite having a confirmed booking for the respective flight and arriving at the airport check-in on time, you are not allowed to board the aircraft.

This only applies under the assumption that there are no reasonable grounds justifying the denied boarding, such as missing complete travel documents, security concerns or similar reasons.

Since overbooking is one of the most common reasons for denying a passenger boarding, the word “overbooking” is usually used as a synonym for the term “denied boarding”. You can find more information on this topic in our article Compensation for flight overbooking.

How much is the compensation for denied boarding?

If your boarding is suddenly denied despite having a valid flight ticket, proper check-in and punctual arrival at the gate, it can be very frustrating. If the airline is responsible for the denied boarding, you are entitled to compensation payments ranging from €600 to €250 depending on the flight distance.

Overbooked flight - compensation amounts

The route distance of your flight determines the compensation amount you may be entitled to. Be aware that the arrival time of the alternative flight at the destination also plays a role.

Here is an outline:

• Flights of over 3 500 kilometres outside the EU, with a flight delay at the destination airport of over 4 hours – 600 €
• Flights of over 1 500 kilometres within the EU, and all other flights between 1 500 and 3 500 kilometres outside the EU, with a delay at the destination airport of over 3 hours – 400 €
• Flights of up to 1 500 kilometres within the EU, with a delay at the destination airport of over 2 hours – 250 €

Flight overbooking - compensation reduction cases

As clarified above, you also have the right to compensation if you take an alternative flight provided by the airline. However, the payment amounts previously described will be reduced by 50% if the flight falls within a specific period of time.

Here is a table which explains this in more detail:

Overbooked flight: Rights to additional services

In addition to compensation of up to 600 €, you should receive:

• A full ticket refund or a refund for unused legs of the journey
• The earliest possible return flight, free of charge, to the original departure airport
• The earliest possible flight (or other transportation such as bus, train, taxi etc.) free of charge to the destination

As well as the above options, you should receive additional services. These include 2 free phone calls, emails or faxes, plus meals and refreshments, proportional to the waiting time at the airport. If your alternative flight departs the next day, free hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel must be provided to you by the airline.

Below is an overview of the services and rights you are entitled to in the event of denied boarding.

Denied boarding - Flight compensation calculator

You can quickly and without obligation calculate your compensation claim by using MYFLYRIGHT’s compensation calculator. To try it, simply input the flight number and flight date. Afterwards, you can submit your case and let MYFLYRIGHT pursue your claim.

Overbooking compensation rights by route

In order to understand if you have a claim and to calculate the compensation amount, the variables which must be considered are the airline with which you fly, the country of departure and the country of destination.

The EU Passenger Rights Regulation protects passengers in case of overbooking if:

• The flight is within the EU, whether the airline is headquartered in the EU or not.
• The flight departs from an EU country and the destination airport is in a non-EU country, regardless of where the headquarters of the airline are.
• The flight departs from a non-EU country and lands in an EU country, providing the airline is headquartered in the EU.

The table below outlines the flight routes which are covered by the EU Regulation.

Why do airlines overbook flights?

The most common reason for denied boarding is overbooking. This is when airlines sell more tickets than there are seats on the aircraft. The reason for this common practice is so-called ‘no-shows’. These are passengers who do not show up at the airport for their flight, even if they have a valid ticket and did not cancel it. Sometimes this is due to some unforeseen circumstance, but in this era of affordable travel some passengers buy tickets at extremely low prices, without knowing if they will actually take the flight. Airlines have developed complex calculation systems in order to estimate how many no-shows there are likely to be per flight. The amount of tickets to be sold is calculated based on this data. In this way, the airline can maximise ticket sales, ensuring the highest profit for every flight.

Denied boarding: Reasons other than overbooking

Although overbooking is the most frequent cause of denied boarding it should be noted that there are several other possible reasons for this decision. Each case is judged individually on whether such reasons are justified or not. Below are a series of the most common situations where denied boarding occurs.

• If you booked your flight with a credit card and you happen not to bring it with you while travelling, some airlines may deny boarding to you..
• Another instance of denied boarding may occur when passengers arrive late at the check-in counter. Regardless of whether you have already checked in online or you intend to do so at the airport, you must arrive within 45 minutes of the scheduled departure of an EU flight and at least 60 minutes before a non-EU flight at the check-in counter.
• The most controversial case is probably when the airline denies boarding to a passenger because they are classified as a security risk, for example being drunk and disorderly, or due to illness. In principle, airlines are within their rights to deny boarding to those passengers who pose a risk to security when flying.

EU Denied boarding regulation: Can I claim?

Overall, however, the EU Regulation sets out the rights of passengers who have been denied boarding in a clear manner, leaving little room for misunderstanding or need for clarification. Whatever the case, MYFLYRIGHT helps to assess your case correctly and will aid you in enforcing your rights.

Below is an overview of which cases of denied boarding in which you have a claim for compensation or not.

Overbooked flight compensation: EU claim deadlines

The rights outlined by the EU Regulation are the same all over Europe, but what is different between the countries is how you can enforce your claim easily. Firstly, it is important to note in which country’s court your claim should be made. In Germany, for example, this is dependent on the following factors:

• Country of departure airport
• Country of destination airport
• Airline headquarters

Another key factor to consider when making your claim is the statutory time frame in each country. In the UK, you have 6 years from the date you were denied boarding and in Germany the deadline is 3 years from the end of the calendar year that the flight was scheduled in.

Here is an overview of the statute of limitations in a selection of countries in Europe.

Boarding denied: Business and package travel

When you are leaving for a holiday that has been planned for months, or you are travelling to make an important presentation for your company, any flight disruption can lead to your trip being ruined. Even when you are offered an alternative flight, this might not be enough to make up for the inconvenience, as you may have already missed activities which were booked in advance, or the important event you were travelling for.

Be aware that for business and package travel you have the same rights as individual travellers.

Overbooked flight: Rights for package travel

For package tours, the flight, accommodation and sometimes travel activities and other services are purchased together. For this type of trip, you are protected under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation, just like anyone travelling independently, meaning you also have the opportunity of claiming a compensation amount of up to 600 €.

Airline overbooking compensation: Business travel

When you are denied boarding during a business trip, there can be serious repercussions. Arriving late for significant meetings, missing presentations and losing out on key contracts can be detrimental to your business.

It should be emphasised that the traveller should receive the compensation, regardless of who made the booking. However, it must also be noted that some employers include within the employee contract a clause stating that the company, rather than the employee, has the right to such compensation. In such a case, the company gains the right to compensation. You will also find more information on the topic in our article Business travel.

Denied boarding compensation letter: How to claim

If you decide to enforce your claim against the airline yourself, there are several important factors to take into account and certain steps which you should follow.

Step 1. Write a letter. You can choose to write your own letter or simply use our letter template. With our letter template, you can either complete it online and email it to the airline, or fill it in, print it out and then mail it. When mailing the letter, it is recommended to use registered post – this way, you will know when it has been received by the airline, which will be important to use as evidence in court.

Open letter template

If you write your own letter or email, the following information must be included:

Denied boarding compensation: How to claim

When making a claim against the airline, you have the option of claiming independently or you can appoint someone else to help you.

When pursuing the case on your own, it is probable that you will require legal services, as airlines are experienced and skilled in arguing against claims and have the support of extensive legal teams. If you choose the independent route, you will avoid the commission MYFLYRIGHT applies in the instance where your case is successful; however, it may not be worth the time and stress expended. Moreover, independently pursuing your claim can be costly. This varies depending on the country where you enforce your claim, for example, in the event a case goes to court and is rejected in Germany, the passenger must pay all legal expenses and court fees.

The following table illustrates the costs in a case in Germany, where 2 people each claim compensation with the amount of 400 € in court.

Denied boarding compensation letter

If you decide to enforce your claim against the airline yourself, there are several important factors to take into account and certain steps which you should follow.

Step 1. Write a letter. You can choose to write your own letter or simply use our letter template. With our letter template, you can either complete it online and email it to the airline, or fill it in, print it out and then mail it. When mailing the letter, it is recommended to use registered post – this way, you will know when it has been received by the airline, which will be important to use as evidence in court.

Open letter template

If you write your own letter or email, the following information must be included: