Denied boarding

Incidents of travellers being denied boarding have increased in recent years.

This happens usually when a flight is overbooked due to operational issues. An airline can only deny you from boarding a flight if:

• you volunteer to give up your ticket; or
• there aren’t enough volunteers to meet the airline’s circumstances.

Regardless of which option is applied, the airline should immediately offer you compensation. The type or amount of compensation depends on your situation, but should include:

• meals, phone calls and internet access
• accommodation and transport (where reasonable)
• the choice between a full refund or a replacement flight.