Denied boarding compensation
Denied Boarding Compensation: Overbooked or Bumped From a Flight?
Overbooked or bumped from a flight? Check whether denied boarding compensation may apply. Review voluntary vs involuntary boarding, airline offers, documents, fee, and next steps before authorization.
- No upfront payment
- Fee before you sign
- Airline offers reviewed
- Documents checked
- No compensation guarantee
Overbooked or bumped from a flight?
If you were refused boarding despite having a booking and arriving for the flight, AirReclaim checks whether the denial was involuntary, what the airline offered, and whether UK/EU compensation rules may apply. You see estimated compensation, fee, and net payout before authorization.
- Overbooking and bumped-flight review.
- Voluntary vs involuntary checked.
- Airline offers and vouchers reviewed.
- Human-reviewed before submission.
When denied boarding compensation may apply
Denied boarding compensation may apply when you had a valid booking, presented for check-in or boarding on time, met travel-document requirements, and were refused boarding involuntarily on a covered route.
AirReclaim reviews the route, operating carrier, boarding status, airline offer, evidence of presence, passenger count, and any reason the airline gave before treating the file as submission-ready.
| Review point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Valid booking | Connects the passenger to the disrupted flight. |
| On-time check-in or gate presence | Supports that refusal was not caused by lateness. |
| Involuntary denied boarding | Different from volunteering for a later flight. |
| Covered route and carrier | EU261 or UK261 scope depends on route and operating airline. |
Overbooked, bumped, or volunteered: why the distinction matters
A passenger who volunteered for a later flight, accepted benefits, or agreed to a voucher may be in a different position from a passenger who was involuntarily refused boarding.
Keep the airline's offer, voucher terms, written denied-boarding notice, and replacement-flight details. AirReclaim reviews these records before deciding whether compensation remains open.
- Overbooking can support review when boarding was involuntarily refused.
- Voluntary denied boarding can weaken or defeat statutory compensation.
- Vouchers, hotel, meals, cash, or transfer offers should be preserved.
- Replacement-flight timing can affect the compensation review.
How much denied boarding compensation could apply?
Where the conditions are met, EU261 denied boarding compensation is commonly explained through EUR250, EUR400, and EUR600 distance bands. UK261 uses a similar structure in UK terms.
The checker estimates gross compensation, AirReclaim's service fee, and estimated net payout. The result stays preliminary until documents, airline offer, authorization, and route scope are reviewed.
| Distance | Common EU261 band | Review caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR250 | Conditions and involuntary refusal must be supported. |
| 1,500 km to 3,500 km | EUR400 | Route and replacement journey can affect the result. |
| Over 3,500 km | EUR600 | Long-haul cases need full offer and rerouting review. |
What airline offers should you keep?
Keep every record showing what the airline offered at the airport or later. The offer can clarify whether you volunteered, were bumped involuntarily, accepted a voucher, received care, or travelled on a replacement flight.
AirReclaim separates denied boarding compensation from refunds, expenses, vouchers, hotels, meals, goodwill, and direct airline settlements.
- Written denied-boarding notice.
- Voucher, cash, transfer, hotel, or meal offer.
- Replacement-flight itinerary and actual arrival time.
- Any refund, settlement, or direct airline payment record.
Documents for a denied boarding claim
The strongest files show that you were booked, present, ready to travel, and refused boarding for an airline-side reason. If you do not have a boarding pass, upload substitute proof and explain what happened at the gate.
Passenger-side documentation, security, immigration, lateness, health, conduct, or payment issues can make compensation unsuitable. These cases need careful review.
- Booking confirmation or e-ticket.
- Boarding pass, check-in proof, or bag tag.
- Gate arrival proof or written passenger notes.
- Airline denied-boarding notice.
- Rebooking details and voucher or offer terms.
What AirReclaim reviews before submission
Before any airline submission, AirReclaim checks evidence, authorization, route scope, airline offer, voluntary status, fee terms, and whether the correct airline or authority channel is available.
The service is a managed recovery workflow, not legal advice. If a file is unclear, unsupported, or outside current route capability, AirReclaim requests more information or blocks submission.
- Evidence and airline offer review.
- Fee and net payout shown before authorization.
- Signed authorization required before action.
- Human review before airline submission.
Common questions
Possibly. AirReclaim reviews whether you were involuntarily denied boarding despite having a valid booking and presenting for travel on time.
Official references
Check denied boarding
Open the checker with denied boarding preselected.
Read morePricing and fees
See no-upfront-payment and net payout examples.
Read moreDocuments needed
Prepare booking, gate, airline offer, and rebooking evidence.
Read morePassenger rights
Understand EU261 and UK261 disruption boundaries.
Read moreEU261 vs UK261
Review the route-scope comparison.
Read moreAuthorization
See what must be signed before AirReclaim acts.
Read moreNo legal advice
Review the managed-service boundary.
Read moreData security
Understand private claim-file handling.
Read moreCheck an overbooked or bumped flight.
Start with booking, gate, airline offer, and replacement-flight facts. The result stays preliminary until AirReclaim reviews the evidence.