Airline Bumping Up Sharply As Planes Fill

Between the beginning of April and the end of June, more than 16,000 airline passengers were involuntarily bumped from seats they thought they'd bought and paid for.  That's a one-third increase over the same time last year and is the highest number since the spring of 2000, according to new Department of Transportation (DOT) figures.

The airlines are obligated to provide the number of passengers they bump to DOT.  Involuntary bumping occurs when an airline has overbooked its flight, a common practice by all airlines that use computer models to predict how many passengers will not show up for a particular flight.  Obviously, those calculations aren't always on the mark.

Why the big increase?  Fewer flights are resulting in more seats being occupied on the average flight.  Airlines that used to regularly fill 70% or so of their seats are now filling nearly 90% of their seats.  That results in overselling of some flights, and the airlines use a pecking order to decide who won't fly.  First class, full-fare and "elite" frequent flyers are the last to be invited off the plane.  Passengers on the cheapest tickets with no particular frequent flyer status with an airline are usually the first to be bumped.

In most cases, airlines offer incentives--such as future free flights or even cash--to try to mollify those who are bumped.  Remember, you can bargain for a better payoff if you sense an airline is really desperate to put you on a later flight.  Should you have to stay overnight, your accommodations should be provided gratis.