Bumped From a Flight? Denied Boarding Compensation 2026 (US, EU, UK, Canada Table)

On international flights leaving the US, the 200% band stretches to 4 hours. Europe, the UK and Canada pay fixed amounts instead: €250–€600 under EU261, £220–£520 under UK261 and CA$900–CA$2,400 under Canada's APPR.

How much compensation do you get for being bumped?

It depends on where the flight departs from: the US pays a multiple of your fare, while the EU, UK and Canada pay fixed amounts by distance or delay. The table compares the four rules a traveler from the US is most likely to meet.

Dollar figures at the ECB reference rates of 2 November 2026.

How you are paid and who enforces it:

Sources: 14 CFR 250.2, 250.5, 250.8; Regulation 261/2004 Arts 3, 4, 7; UK Regulation 261/2004 Arts 3, 4, 7; APPR ss. 12(4), 20, 21; Canada Transportation Act ss. 85.04, 86.11; ECB reference rates of 2 November 2026. Checked 3 November 2026.

US "fare" means the price you paid including all mandatory taxes and fees, but not optional extras such as seat or bag fees (14 CFR 250.1). It is the fare to your destination or first stopover (a planned break of more than 4 hours), so on a same-day connection the fare that counts is the one-way fare to your final destination that day, not just the leg you were bumped from. Airlines may always pay more than these minimums (250.5(g)).

US bumping compensation by arrival delay

The band is fixed by the arrival time of the alternative flight the airline offers, "at the time the arrangement is made" (14 CFR 250.5). Under that wording, a later delay of the replacement flight does not change your band, so get its planned arrival time in writing when you are rebooked.

Source: 14 CFR 250.5(a) and (b); DOT Bumping & Oversales tables. In force since 22 January 2025.

Two extras come on top. The airline must refund optional fees you paid for services you did not get, such as a seat assignment or checked bag that did not carry over to the new flight (250.5(f)). On an award or other "zero fare" ticket, compensation is based on the lowest cash fare charged in the same cabin on that flight (250.5(d)).

Your ticket is not used up by the compensation. DOT's older Fly-Rights guide, now archived, said you could keep the ticket for another flight or make your own arrangements and ask for an involuntary refund of the flight you were bumped from; Part 250 itself treats the compensation as a payment on top, separate from any refund of unused extras (250.5(f)). How that refund works is covered in our US flight refund rules.

Worked examples: what you would actually get

The examples use the real average one-way US domestic fare of $312, published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for the second quarter of 2026. The other fares, including the award example, are illustrations; the EU, UK and Canada amounts do not depend on the fare.

Sources: BTS release 26-73 (29 September 2026): "one-way, 45% ($312)"; 14 CFR 250.5; Regulation 261/2004 Art. 7; UK Regulation 261/2004 Art. 7; APPR s. 20; ECB rates of 2 November 2026. Distance Frankfurt–Newark: great-circle, as in our EU261 guide.

In Canada the amount can change after you are paid. If the airline pays before you arrive, it pays on your expected arrival time, and it must adjust the amount if you then arrive later than expected (APPR s. 20(3) and (5)). A rebooking that slips from 5 to 7 hours late moves you from CA$900 to CA$1,800.

Volunteer or bumped: why the difference decides your money

Only passengers bumped against their will get the amounts above. A volunteer is someone who "willingly accepts the carriers' offer of compensation, in any amount" (14 CFR 250.2b(a)), so once you say yes, the deal you made is all you get. EU261 and UK261 work the same way: volunteers get the "benefits under conditions to be agreed" plus a refund or new flight, but no fixed compensation (Art. 4(1)).

Volunteering for a voucher is the trap at a busy gate. The agent asks for volunteers and offers a $300 voucher; on a $312 fare, being bumped involuntarily for more than 2 hours would be worth $1,248 in cash. US airlines must tell you, no later than when they ask you to volunteer, "whether he or she is in danger of being involuntarily denied boarding and, if so, the compensation the carrier is obligated to pay" (250.2b(b)). That figure is your floor for negotiating; DOT says there is no limit to what airlines may offer volunteers.

If an airline asks for volunteers earlier, at online check-in or in its app, saying yes there makes you a volunteer just the same: there is no minimum, only the offer you accepted (250.2b(a)).

Volunteering can still be the better deal: you choose the new flight and can negotiate meals, a hotel or a confirmed seat. Anyone who did not volunteer and is still left behind counts as involuntarily denied boarding, "even if that passenger accepts the denied boarding compensation" (250.2b(a)).

What to say at the gate: a step-by-step script

Do these in order, and get in writing whatever you can.

1. Before volunteering, get the offer in writing. Ask: "What exactly is the offer, cash or voucher, and what are the voucher's restrictions?" US airlines must disclose all material restrictions, such as fees and blackout dates, before you decide (250.2b(c)); in Canada the airline must confirm a volunteer's benefit in writing before the flight leaves (APPR s. 15(3)).
2. Ask what you would be owed if bumped involuntarily. "Am I at risk of being bumped, and how much would you have to pay me?" The airline must answer (250.2b(b)).
3. Ask which flight you would be on. A confirmed seat, not standby. DOT also suggests asking whether meals, a hotel and transfers are included.
4. If you are bumped without volunteering, say so. "I did not volunteer. Please record this as involuntary denied boarding."
5. Ask for the written statement. "Please give me your written statement on compensation for denied boarding." US airlines must hand it over immediately (250.9); EU and UK airlines must give a written notice of your rights (Art. 14(2)).
6. Get the new planned arrival time in writing, in the app or on the new boarding pass. It fixes your US band (250.5) and your EU or UK reduction (Art. 7(2)).
7. Ask for cash or a check. "I'd like the compensation by check, not a voucher." A voucher is legal only if it is worth at least as much and you were told you can refuse it (250.5(c)). In the EU and UK a voucher needs your signed agreement (Art. 7(3)); in Canada, your written confirmation (APPR s. 21).
8. Ask for refunds of unused extras, such as a seat or bag fee that did not carry over (250.5(f)).
9. Keep the evidence: boarding pass or booking confirmation, the written statement, the rebooking, the agent's name, the time, and receipts for any costs.

Before cashing a check, decide whether it covers your losses: the airline's written statement says you "may decline the payment and seek to recover damages in a court of law", and that accepting it "may relieve" the airline "from any further liability" (250.9). DOT's older Fly-Rights guide, archived and no longer maintained, said you usually had 30 days from the date on the check to decide; go by any deadline printed on the check itself.

When US airlines don't owe bumping compensation

You get nothing under the US rule if one of these exceptions applies (14 CFR 250.6 and DOT's Bumping & Oversales page):

• You didn't meet the check-in or ticketing rules. Every airline sets its own cut-off; JetBlue's check-in deadlines show how strict they can be. Arriving at the gate late can cost you the compensation even with a boarding pass.
• Aircraft change: a smaller plane was substituted "for safety or operational reasons".
• Weight and balance limits on a plane with 60 or fewer seats.
• You were seated in another cabin at no extra charge; if it is a cheaper cabin, you get the fare difference back.
• The airline rebooked you on a flight planned to get you there within 1 hour of your original arrival time.
• The flight was canceled, which is a different situation: see what to do when your flight is canceled.
• Charter flights, planes with fewer than 30 seats, flights into the US from abroad and flights between two foreign airports.

The aircraft-change exception does not exist in Europe. In Finnair (C-22/11, 2012) the EU's Court of Justice ruled that denied boarding is not limited to overbooking and also covers "other grounds, such as operational reasons". The UK CAA names "using a smaller aircraft than planned" as one reason passengers get bumped, and its compensation table applies whenever you are bumped without your agreement, as long as you checked in on time.

Bumped in Europe, the UK or Canada

EU and UK. If the airline bumps you against your will, it "shall immediately compensate" you and must also offer a refund or a new flight, plus meals, communication and a hotel if you wait overnight (Art. 4(3), Arts 8 and 9). Article 4 gives the airline no extraordinary-circumstances defense for bumping as it has for delays; only reasons such as health, safety, security or inadequate travel documents justify refusing you (Art. 2(j)). These rights cannot be limited or waived in the contract, and a passenger who accepted less because they were not told their rights can still claim the rest (Art. 15). The EU amounts in the table apply until Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 starts to apply on 23 October 2027; it keeps €250, €400 and €600. Which flights count, the time limits by country and the reform's other changes are in our guides to EU261 compensation and UK261 compensation.

Canada. The APPR splits denied boarding by cause. Only a denial within the airline's control and not required for safety, which includes overbooking, triggers the CA$900–CA$2,400 payment (ss. 12(4), 20). The airline must ask for volunteers first (s. 15(1)) and cannot remove a passenger already on board except for safety (s. 15(2)). When it must choose, it has to protect, in this order, unaccompanied minors, passengers with a disability and their support person or animal, passengers traveling with family, and anyone already bumped on the same ticket (s. 15(4)). If it cannot pay before your new flight boards, it must confirm the amount owed in writing (s. 20(4)). Air Canada's process is described in our Air Canada refund and APPR guide.

The APPR amendments the Canadian Transportation Agency proposed in December 2024 were still not in force on 3 November 2026: the Justice Laws text was current to 19 October 2026 and last amended on 8 September 2022.

How likely is a bump, and which airlines bump most?

Being bumped against your will is rare: the largest US airlines reported 3,376 involuntary denied boardings among 231.7 million passengers in April–June 2026, a rate of 0.15 per 10,000, or about 1 in 69,000. Another 70,998 passengers gave up their seats voluntarily, about 21 for every passenger bumped involuntarily. The rate was 0.33 in the same quarter of 2025.

Source: US DOT, August 2026 Air Travel Consumer Report, oversales table for April–June 2026, the latest quarter published on 3 November 2026. Counts include passengers who were bumped but did not qualify for compensation under one of the exceptions.

American's own flights had a rate of 0.15, its branded codeshare partners 0.94. In April–June 2026 Delta reported no involuntary bumpings at all and the most volunteers. July–September 2026 figures should follow in DOT's next quarterly oversales table.

What if the airline refuses to pay or pays less?

Put your claim in writing to the airline first, then escalate to the regulator. Use only the airline's own website or app for this; fake "airline helplines" target exactly these passengers, see our guide to fake airline customer service numbers.

1. Write to the airline. Quote the rule (14 CFR 250.5, EU or UK Art. 4(3) and 7, or APPR s. 20), the flight, the original and new arrival times and the amount due. US airlines must acknowledge a complaint within 30 days and send a substantive answer within 60 days (14 CFR 259.7).
2. US flights: complain to DOT through its air travel consumer complaint page. You can also decline the airline's check and sue for your actual losses; the written statement says the passenger "may decline the payment and seek to recover damages in a court of law" (250.9).
3. Card dispute for money you paid. If the airline will not refund the unused ticket or the extras it owes back, dispute the charge with your card issuer. The FTC says your letter must reach the issuer "within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you". In our reading, a dispute can only recover what you paid, not the bumping compensation itself.
4. EU and UK flights: go to the national enforcement body in the EU, or to the airline's ADR scheme or the CAA in the UK (details in the guides linked above).
5. Canada: if your written request is not resolved within 30 days, file with the Canadian Transportation Agency (Canada Transportation Act s. 85.04).

More situations, from refunds to lost bags, are in our passenger rights guides.

Out-of-date figures you may see elsewhere

Many pages and AI answers still quote old US caps. The caps in force from August 2011 have been raised three times since; anything other than $1,075 and $2,150 is out of date for bumpings on or after 22 January 2025.

Sources: Federal Register rules listed below; 14 CFR 250.5. The "Where we saw it" column reflects our checks on the dates shown.

The caps follow a formula in 14 CFR 250.5(e): DOT reviews them every two years using the July Consumer Price Index and rounds to the nearest $25; the 400% cap is always twice the 200% cap. The 2024 review used the July 2024 index and turned $775 into $1,075. A 2026 review, if it changes the caps, would appear in the Federal Register; we will update this page the same week.

Frequently asked questions about getting bumped

Can an airline bump me after I've boarded?

Generally no. Since 2021, under 14 CFR 250.7, once you checked in on time and the gate agent scanned or collected your boarding pass, an airline, US or foreign, may not deny you boarding or remove you from the plane. The exceptions are a safety, security or health risk, or behavior that is "obscene, disruptive, or otherwise unlawful".

Who gets bumped first on an overbooked flight?

Each US airline writes its own boarding priority rules and must print them in the written statement it gives bumped passengers. DOT allows factors such as check-in time, whether you have a seat assignment, the fare paid and frequent-flyer status, but the rules may not subject anyone to "unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage" (14 CFR 250.3); DOT's example is that an airline could not lawfully use race or ethnicity. DOT's archived Fly-Rights guide said that some airlines bump the lowest fares first and others the last passengers to check in, so checking in early helps.

Does a US airline owe me a hotel or meals after a bump?

Not under the bumping rule. 14 CFR Part 250 requires the compensation, the written statement and refunds of unused extras, but it does not require meals, a hotel or rebooking; your customer service rights rest on the airline's own plan, which must cover "handling 'bumped' passengers with fairness and consistency" (14 CFR 259.5(b)(10)), and on its contract of carriage. Ask at the gate before you accept anything, keep receipts, and note that EU261, UK261 and the APPR do require meals and an overnight hotel.

Do I get bumping compensation on an award ticket?

Yes. In the US, an award ticket is a "zero fare ticket", and compensation is based on the lowest cash fare charged in the same cabin on that flight (250.5(d)). EU261 and UK261 also cover frequent-flyer tickets (Art. 3(3)).

Does the US rule cover flights into the US?

No. The US rule applies only to flights departing a US airport, so a bump in London or Frankfurt on the way home is not covered by it. EU261 or UK261 covers you instead when you depart from Europe or the UK, on any airline.

Can I get US and European compensation for the same bumping?

Usually not. EU261 and UK261 do not apply to flights arriving in Europe from abroad if you already "received benefits or compensation and were given assistance" in the country of departure (Art. 3(1)(b)). Canada's law likewise bars APPR compensation if you were already compensated for the same event under another passenger rights regime (Canada Transportation Act s. 86.11(3)).