A reporter recently posed a question that prompted a bit of digging on my part. He asked: Is there something about capacity cuts at airlines that will drive more overbooked flights?
His question was provoked by an experience he had flying United Airlines between Chicago and Seattle, where he was voluntarily bumped three times before successfully boarding a flight. The reporter was thrilled to get three flight vouchers out of the ordeal but was curious if this was a common occurrence or a weird aberration.
In short, what happened to him certainly deviates from the norm. Even as airlines continue to slash routes into the fall, there is nothing about these capacity cuts that should drive more instances of denied boarding.
All airlines purposely overbook their flights to account for passengers who no show for whatever reason. As part of their standard revenue management practices, airlines use highly sophisticated models to predict overbooking levels, and they usually get it right. That said, the airlines are also operating at very high load factors right now, and we’ll continue to see full flights given the capacity cuts. In this respect, there is less margin for error.
When airlines do end up with more customers than they can accommodate, they ask for volunteers to take a later flight, offering them free flights or travel credits. But if they don’t get enough volunteers, they are allowed to involuntarily deny boarding, which does happen on occasion. That’s why it’s so important to check-in online and secure your seat assignment if you can, or arrive at the airport extra early to make sure you get a spot.
I’m a frequent flyer and have never, I repeat never, gotten bumped from a flight because it is too full. For this reporter to get bumped – voluntarily or not – three times in a single day is certainly a weird aberration. Or…is it the luck of the Irish? In this current travel environment, with fare hikes and added fees, three free tickets is gold!
