What Do I Do If I Was Bumped Off of My American Airlines Flight?
In a nutshell: One of the many irritations involved in flying is the practice of overbooking. Because they know that a certain percentage of people will never show up for their flights, many airlines overbook their flights a bit, to keep themselves close to full capacity. However, this sometimes results in more passengers for a given flight than there are available seats. If this happens, the airline will sometimes bump you off of the flight. It will also do so for safety reasons. If this has happened to your American Airlines flight then keep reading to find out what to do.
Introduction
One of the many irritations involved in flying is the practice of overbooking. Because they know that a certain percentage of people will never show up for their flights, many airlines overbook their flights a bit, to keep themselves close to full capacity. However, this sometimes results in more passengers for a given flight than there are available seats. If this happens, the airline will sometimes bump you off of the flight. It will also do so for safety reasons. If this has happened to your American Airlines flight then keep reading to find out what to do.
What You'll Need
In the case of an overbooked flight, American Airlines will always start by trying to find people who will willingly give up their seat in exchange for incentives, which usually include flight vouchers and more. If you decide to agree to this, then it is up to you to work out adequate compensation with the American Airlines representatives for yourself.If you were involuntarily bumped, then American Airlines must rebook you on the next available flight to your destination at no extra cost to you.If you were bumped from your flight for any of the following reasons, you are not owed additional financial compensation: a smaller plane was substituted for the original one for safety reasons, weight or balance restrictions required it, the plane is designed to hold fewer than 30 passengers, the flight is a charter flight, or the flight originated in a foreign country.If you were bumped for any other reason, then American Airlines owes you 200% of the one way fare, up to $1,075 if your travel is delayed between one and two hours, and 400% of the fare up to a maximum of $2,150 if you are delayed more than two hours.
Make sure you get a written statement from the American Airlines representative you speak to, detailing the agreement you came to and the compensation you are owed.
Go to an American Airlines desk and speak with a representative about the reason why you were bumped.
Check to see if the reason you were bumped from your flight disqualifies you from additional compensation, as described above.
If it is not one of the reasons listed above, American Airlines owes you additional financial compensation. Verify that you are eligible for this compensation and ask how you will receive it.
Check the flight details for your new flight.
If you are going to be delayed more than two hours, ask about compensation for meals and drinks.
If you are going to be delayed overnight, ask about a hotel voucher as well.
Go to the American Airlines refund request portal.
American Airlines refund request portal
If you were bumped from your flight for reasons within the airline's control and had to pay for extra food and other expenses out of your own pocket, you can apply for compensation here. If not, do not proceed with additional steps.
Provide the requested information and follow the prompts to apply for a refund of your extra expenses.
Conclusion
If you have any further questions, call an American Airlines representative for assistance. The airline's customer service call center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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