Why do airlines oversell flights

In a recent interview, WestJet told CBC News that it doesn't intentionally overbook flights, but that passengers could be bumped if the airline has to swap a larger plane for a smaller one with fewer seats. In the U. Lukacs said Canadian airlines do not have to keep statistics on how often they overbook or bump passengers. But the transportation agency said it received 55 complaints about overbooking in , less than four per cent of all air travel complaints filed.

CNN reported that a study conducted by MileCards. The overall industry average is 6. According to official data, more than 40, paying customers were bumped off U.

That figure doesn't include those who voluntarily gave up their seat on oversold flights and received compensation. According to the U. The champion of overbookers was Delta Air Lines — about , passengers on Delta gave up their seats last year.

Passengers arriving late are usually the ones most likely to be bumped. You can minimize the chances of this happening by coming earlier to the airport.

The Canadian Transportation Agency said pre-selecting seats when making a reservation, which may require the payment of a fee, could also help avoid bumping. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses.

Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Another reason tickets are oversold is because airlines expect a percentage of people to be coming from connecting flights—flights that could very possibly be delayed or canceled. A minute delay on the first flight could be the difference between boarding and not boarding the connecting flight in many cases.

Yes, overbooking is entirely legal. In fact, if overbooking were to be made illegal, the price of air travel tickets would likely increase. Overbooking helps airlines guarantee their planes will be filled to capacity, allowing them to keep tickets cheap. Overbooking can go wrong, however, when passengers refuse to be bumped.

While most airlines aim to solve overbooking issues before passengers begin to board, there are cases where passengers must be removed from flights.

This was the case on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville. An old man was forcibly removed from the flight in front of the remaining passengers. It was distressing for everyone involved—and incredibly bad press for United Airlines. Not illegal, but really not a good way to show passengers you care. The extent to which plane tickets are oversold is based on extensive air travel statistical research. Airlines invest in creating huge databases of previous passenger trends and past no-shows.

These calculations are not foolproof, however, and can lead to passengers being bumped to different flights. When the statistics and algorithms do get it wrong, airlines have several options to work their way through. These volunteers must receive compensation, as per EU regulations , in the event of denied boarding. Passengers flying to and from the United States are also covered by the U.

Anyone bumped involuntarily will get compensated. They would get a percentage of their one-way fare back, depending on how long the delay is.

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