Denied boarding

Overbooking refers to a situation in which everyone who has bought a ticket for the same flight cannot fit on the flight.

Voluntarily giving up a booking

In the event of overbooking, the airline must primarily look for volunteers who can abandon their flight. The airline and you can agree on the benefits you receive for giving up your seat. In addition, you have the right to choose either a ticket price refund or a re-routing.

Re-routing or ticket price refund

If you choose re-routing, the airline must provide care during the waiting period under certain conditions. This refers to meals and refreshments in a reasonable proportion of the waiting time, two free calls, faxes or e-mails, hotel accommodation, if extra overnight accommodation is necessary, and transport between the airport and the hotel. If you wish to cancel the flight, the airline must, within seven days, refund the ticket price, not only for each leg of the trip, but also for the legs already travelled, if the flight no longer serves a purpose in relation to the travel plan. You may also require a free return flight to the point of departure indicated on your ticket, if you have to cancel the journey during a stopover. Please note that if you cancel your flight, you will also give up your right to care during the waiting period.

Standard compensation

Anyone who has been denied boarding against their will is entitled to a standard compensation. The standard compensation amount depends on the duration of the flight and the delay caused by re-routing. You can calculate the standard compensation using the table below.

Compensation for damage caused by a delay

If the delay caused by the re-routing causes damage, you can claim compensation. Compensation can only be paid for verifiable expenses, but not for dissatisfaction or inconvenience. An airline will not be liable for any damage if it can prove that it has taken all reasonable measures to avoid the damage.

Acceptable reasons for denied boarding

If boarding a flight is denied due to a reason attributable to the passenger (e.g. failure to comply with airline instructions, insufficient travel documents or late check-in), the passenger does not have the rights described above.