Alaska Airlines Denied Boarding Policy: Compensation & Next Steps
Alaska Airlines doesn’t overbook flights as often as other US carriers, but that won’t matter if you’ve already been bumped from a flight. Even though the denied boarding experience can be harrowing, it might help to know that federal law requires the airline to offer compensation to bumped passengers. In this guide, we’ll explain the ins and outs of overbooking, what to expect if it happens, and what you’re owed if you’re involuntarily denied boarding.
Compensation for Alaska Airlines Denied Boarding
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires all airlines in the United States to compensate passengers who have been denied boarding because of overbooking. You might be bumped from a flight for many reasons, but if it’s because the flight was oversold, then you could get up to $2,150 for the inconvenience.
Ultimately, the amount you receive will be based on how late you end up arriving at your destination, as you can see in the following table. Also, you should receive it immediately at the airport or at most within 24 hours.
Length of the Delay | Compensation Payout |
Arrive within an hour of your original arrival time | None |
Arrive between 1-4 hours of your original arrival time | 200% of one-way fare or up to $1,075, whichever is lower |
Arrive over 4 hours later than your original arrival time | 400% of one-way fare or up to $2,150 whichever is lower |
What Alaska Airlines will do for Bumped Passengers
If you’re denied boarding an Alaska Airlines flight because it was overbooked, you will be given:
- A document explaining why you were bumped and your passenger rights
- A seat on the next available flight to your destination at no additional cost, or
- A refund, if you don’t want to continue with your trip. Alaska Airlines must send you the refund within 7 days for flights purchased with a credit card, and 20 days if you paid for your ticket another way.
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What to Do if You’re Bumped from an Alaska Airlines Flight
If you’re denied boarding against your will, the first thing you should do before leaving the gate areas is to get written confirmation of why you were denied boarding.
Next, choose between a replacement flight or a refund. If you decide to accept a rebooking but your new departure time is hours away, ask for help with meals. If you have to wait overnight, ask for lodging. There are no guarantees that you’ll receive these things, but if you ask nicely, you might get what you’re hoping for.
After that, you should begin collecting supporting evidence of your experience. Gather as much supporting documentation as possible, including communication with Alaska Airlines agents, screenshots of notifications in the mobile app, boarding passes, and anything else that can prove you were bumped.
You should get your cash payout within 24 hours, but if for some reason you don’t, then you will have ample proof to submit a compensation claim.
When You Won’t be Compensated for Denied Boarding
As we’ve mentioned, denied boarding can result from any number of situations, but not all of them will lead to cash compensation, including:
- Intoxication or acting under the influence of illegal drugs
- Presenting communicable health issues
- Posing a security or safety concern
- Engaging in unruly behavior towards the crew and other passengers. An example is physically assaulting a passenger or threatening airline staff.
- Failure to have the correct travel documents
- Interfering with the duties of the flight crew
Why Does Alaska Airlines Overbook Flights?
It boils down to increasing profits. The practice of overbooking is legal. It allows airlines to account for passengers who miss a particular flight, ensuring the flight operates at full capacity. This is an important strategy for any carrier as underbooked flights can hurt profits.
So, to optimize each flight, Alaska Airlines will look at data and statistics to determine how much to oversell. Usually, this all goes smoothly until every ticketed passenger arrives for boarding. When this happens, the airline will call for volunteers to free up seats. If they can’t get enough volunteers as departure nears, the next step is to deny some passengers boarding privileges.
Need Help with a Claim?
If you’ve been bumped from a flight and need help getting compensated, AirAdvisor is happy to assist. We’ve been protecting air passengers’ rights since 2017, and our legal team has a 98% win rate for airline compensation claims. See if your flight is eligible by entering your basic flight details into our free compensation checker.
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