In short: If you are denied boarding against your will – overbooking, a smaller aircraft, your seat given to someone else – you are owed €250 / €400 / €600 under EU261 or £220 / £350 / £520 under UK261 per passenger, immediately. On top of that you get a choice between a refund and re-routing, and care while you wait. The airline cannot rely on extraordinary circumstances. If you volunteer to give up your seat, you get what you agree with the airline instead of the fixed sum. Refusal is lawful for health, safety or security reasons, inadequate travel documents, or if you did not check in on time.
What counts as denied boarding?
Article 2(j) defines denied boarding as a refusal to carry a passenger who has presented themselves for boarding under the conditions in Article 3(2), except where there are reasonable grounds such as health, safety or security, or inadequate travel documents. Article 3(2) means:
- a confirmed reservation for the flight; and
- checking in on time, as set by the airline, tour operator or agent in writing. If no time was given, no later than 45 minutes before the published departure time.
Overbooking is the classic cause, but it is not the only one. The Court of Justice held in Finnair (C-22/11, 2012) that the concept is not limited to overbooking and also covers "operational" reasons. Typical cases:
- the airline sells more tickets than seats and not everyone turns up as expected;
- it swaps in a smaller aircraft;
- it gives your seat to crew positioning to another airport, or to passengers from a cancelled flight;
- you reach the gate for your connection on time but are refused because the airline assumed its own late first flight meant you would miss it (Rodríguez Cachafeiro, C-321/11, 2012).
If you never had a confirmed seat (a standby ticket), or you arrived after check-in or the gate closed, it is not denied boarding under the regulation.
Volunteering vs being bumped against your will
When an airline expects to deny boarding, it must first call for volunteers who give up their seats in exchange for benefits agreed between them and the airline (Article 4(1)). The CAA notes that what volunteers receive is "agreed between you and the airline" – vouchers, cash, a hotel, upgrades, whatever is offered.
- Volunteers get the agreed benefits and the right to a refund or re-routing under Article 8. They do not get the fixed compensation.
- Passengers denied boarding against their will get the full package: fixed compensation (Article 7), refund or re-routing (Article 8) and care (Article 9) – Article 4(3).
Do the maths before you volunteer. A €150 voucher may look generous next to a €600 (or £520) cash entitlement on a long-haul flight – until you compare them. Vouchers often have expiry dates and restrictions. Ask the staff: "If I don't volunteer and I'm refused boarding, what will I receive?" Then decide.
How much compensation for denied boarding?
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamimmediately, at the gate€250UK261: £220
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivimmediately, at the gate€400UK261: £350
The airline may halve the amount if it re-routes you and you reach your final destination no more than 2 hours (up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500–3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km) after your original arrival time (Article 7(2)):
| Distance | Re-routed arrival delay | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (e.g. Paris–Barcelona, Vienna–Paris, London–Dublin, Birmingham–Paris) | up to 2 h / more than 2 h | €125 / €250 | £110 / £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km (e.g. Madrid–Warsaw, Brussels–Athens, London–Malaga, Manchester–Athens) | up to 3 h / more than 3 h | €200 / €400 | £175 / £350 |
| Over 3,500 km (e.g. Frankfurt–New York, London–New York, Glasgow–Dubai) | up to 4 h / more than 4 h | €300 / €600 | £260 / £520 |
Which law applies follows the usual scope rules – see the EU261 vs UK261 table. Distances are great-circle distances to your final destination (calculator). Payment must be in cash, by bank transfer or by cheque; vouchers only with your signed agreement (Article 7(3)).
Worked examples
London Gatwick → Faro, overbooked; you refuse to volunteer and are moved to a flight 5 hours later. The flight departs the UK, so UK261 applies. London–Faro is over 1,500 km and you arrive more than 3 hours late: £350, plus meals while you wait.
Frankfurt → Lisbon, smaller aircraft swapped in; you are re-routed on another airline and arrive 2 hours 30 minutes late. The flight departs the EU, so EU261 applies. Frankfurt–Lisbon is in the 1,500–3,500 km band, and you arrived within 3 hours, so the airline may halve the amount: €200.
Manchester → Dubai → Bangkok on one booking; your Manchester flight is late, and at the Dubai gate staff refuse boarding because "the connection has closed", although you are there before departure. A refusal caused by the airline's own earlier delay is denied boarding (C-321/11). The journey departs the UK, so UK261 applies, measured Manchester–Bangkok: £520 if you arrive 4+ hours late.
Dublin → Amsterdam; you accept €150 in vouchers and a seat on the next flight. You volunteered, so the fixed compensation is not due. You keep the agreed benefits and the right to re-routing or a refund.
Refund, re-routing and care
- Refund or re-routing (Article 8): a full refund within 7 days, the earliest available alternative flight, or a later date of your choice. See flight refund rights.
- Care (Article 9): meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, two calls or emails, and a hotel with transfers if you have to stay overnight. See flight delay rights.
- Written notice (Article 14): an airline that denies you boarding must give you a written notice setting out the rules on compensation and assistance.
When is refusing boarding justified?
Refusal is not "denied boarding" under the regulation when there are reasonable grounds (Article 2(j)). The CAA's summary: health, safety, security, or inadequate travel documents. In practice:
- Travel documents: a missing or expired passport, visa or electronic travel authorisation, or a name mismatch the airline cannot resolve.
- Late check-in or gate arrival – the Article 3(2) conditions are not met.
- Safety and security: intoxication, abusive behaviour, a security threat. See security and unruly passengers.
- Health: being visibly unfit to fly, or a contagious condition, subject to the airline's medical rules.
"The flight is full", "operational reasons" and "system error" are not reasonable grounds. If the airline gives a vague reason, ask for it in writing.
How do airlines choose who gets bumped?
The law only sets two rules: ask for volunteers first (Article 4(1)), and give priority to carrying passengers with reduced mobility, their companions and certified service dogs, and unaccompanied children (Article 11(1)). Airlines then use their own internal priorities, often based on check-in time, fare type or frequent-flyer status. Checking in early, online, is the simplest way to lower your risk.
What to do at the gate
- Do not volunteer until you know the offer and what you would get if refused against your will.
- Make it clear you are not volunteering – say so, and note the time and the name of the agent.
- Ask for the refusal and its reason in writing, and the Article 14 notice of rights.
- Ask for compensation now. The law says "immediately". If the airline cannot pay at the gate, you claim it later.
- Choose re-routing or a refund, and ask about other airlines' flights if they are sooner.
- Ask for care and keep receipts.
- Do not sign anything waiving your claim or accepting a voucher instead of money.
How to claim
- Evidence: booking confirmation, boarding pass or check-in confirmation (to show you checked in on time), the written refusal, your new boarding pass and arrival time, receipts.
- Write to the operating airline citing Article 4(3) and Article 7, the distance band and the amount. Our letter generator and template help. Airline pages: Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Wizz Air, Vueling, SAS, LOT, Aer Lingus, easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2.
- Escalate after 2 months (8 weeks in the UK) or a final refusal. EU, EEA and Swiss departures: the national enforcement body or ADR body of the country where you were refused boarding – usually the departure country, or the arrival country for an EU-airline flight into the EU (for example Germany, Spain, the Netherlands or Belgium), then a national court or the European Small Claims Procedure. UK flights: an ADR scheme or the CAA, then small claims after a letter before action.
Time limits are national – for example 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year), 5 in France, 6 in Ireland, 6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 5 in Scotland; other countries in our time limits guide. Full process: how to claim.
Denied boarding? Work out your compensation
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Common rejection reasons, and how to answer them
| The airline says | What you can reply |
|---|---|
| "You volunteered." | Ask for evidence of the agreement. If you were simply told you would not fly, you did not volunteer. |
| "Extraordinary circumstances." | Article 4 has no such defence (Finnair, C-22/11). |
| "You arrived at the gate too late." | Show your check-in time. If you were late only because the airline's own earlier flight was late, it is still denied boarding (C-321/11). |
| "We rebooked you, so no compensation is due." | Re-routing is a separate right. At most the amount is halved if you arrived within 2/3/4 hours (Article 7(2)). |
| "Here is a voucher instead." | Cash unless you agreed in writing (Article 7(3)). |
Flights from outside Europe
On a flight into the EU or UK from elsewhere, EU261 or UK261 applies only if an EU (or, for UK261, a UK or EU) airline operates it. Even then it does not apply if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance under the law of the country you departed from (Article 3(1)(b)). The United States, for example, has its own federal rules on involuntary bumping, with different amounts and conditions. If you were bumped on a flight departing the US, check those rules and the airline's own terms first. If you are bumped leaving the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or the UK, EU261 or UK261 applies whatever the airline.
Downgraded to a lower class rather than refused altogether? That is a different right: see downgraded flight compensation.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation do I get if I am bumped from a flight?
Under EU261: €250 (up to 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km, and every intra-EU flight over 1,500 km) or €600 (over 3,500 km). Under UK261: £220, £350 or £520. If the airline re-routes you and you arrive no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours late (by distance), it may halve the amount, for example to €125 / £110 on a short flight.
How do I get paid if I was bumped from an overbooked flight?
The regulation says compensation is due "immediately" (Article 4(3)), so ask at the gate. In practice many airlines pay later, after a written claim. Get the refusal confirmed in writing, keep your boarding pass or booking, then claim from the operating airline. If it refuses, escalate to the national enforcement body or ADR body of the country where you were refused boarding (EU, EEA, Switzerland), or to ADR or the CAA (UK).
How do airlines choose who gets bumped?
The regulation does not set an order. It requires the airline to ask for volunteers first (Article 4(1)). It must give priority in carriage to people with reduced mobility and their companions or certified service dogs, and to unaccompanied children (Article 11(1)). Beyond that, airlines apply their own criteria, often based on check-in time, fare type or loyalty status.
What are my rights if I'm denied boarding?
If you are refused against your will: fixed compensation, a choice between a refund and re-routing, and care (meals, calls, a hotel if needed). If you volunteer: whatever you agree with the airline, plus refund or re-routing. In both cases you can ask for a written notice of your rights (Article 14).
Can the airline say "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid paying for denied boarding?
No. Article 4 has no extraordinary-circumstances defence. In Finnair (C-22/11) the Court of Justice held that an airline which rearranged passengers after an airport strike and refused boarding to a passenger had to pay compensation.
I accepted the airline's offer of a voucher and a later flight. Can I still claim?
If you gave up your seat voluntarily for agreed benefits, the fixed compensation is not due. You keep the right to a refund or re-routing (Article 4(1)). So ask at the gate what you would get if you did not volunteer, and compare.
I was refused boarding because my cabin bag was too big and I would not pay. Can I claim?
Probably not. Boarding can be refused on reasonable grounds, and a refusal to comply with the airline's conditions of carriage – baggage rules and fees among them – is likely to be treated as one. The same goes for missing passports, visas or entry permits.
Related guides
- Cancelled flight compensation
- Missed connection compensation
- Downgraded flight compensation
- Flight refund rights
- EU261 explained
- Where to complain in each European country
This guide is general information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers and we are not AirHelp; we receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds. See our affiliate disclosure.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261), Articles 2(j), 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 14 – EUR-Lex
- UK261, Article 4 (denied boarding) – legislation.gov.uk
- UK261, Article 7 (right to compensation) – legislation.gov.uk
- UK261, Article 3 (scope and check-in) – legislation.gov.uk
- Denied boarding – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Air passenger rights: denied boarding and overbooking – Your Europe (European Commission)
- Finnair v Lassooy, C-22/11, judgment of 4 October 2012 – Court of Justice of the EU
- Rodríguez Cachafeiro, C-321/11, judgment of 4 October 2012 – Court of Justice of the EU
- If your flight’s delayed or cancelled – Citizens Advice
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for air passengers – UK Civil Aviation Authority
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.