Get Compensation from Emirates for Overbooked Flights – Know Your Rights
You can get as much as £520 (€600) in compensation if you’re denied boarding an overbooked Emirates flight.
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Facts about Emirates Overbooking
- You could claim up to £520 (€600) in compensation if you were denied boarding an Emirates flight
- Expect a seat on the next available flight or a refund, your choice.
- Emirates must provide meals and even hotel accommodation if you’re stuck at the airport because of the overbooking situation.
- Check if you are entitled to compensation with our free compensation calculator.
Emirates Overbooking: What it Means for Passengers
If you get to the boarding gate and learn that your Emirates flight is overbooked, here’s what will happen.
Emirates will call for volunteers
Emirates agents will start looking for volunteers willing to give up their seat in exchange for a compensation package. This package can improve as the flight gets closer to departure, but at base volunteers will be offered:
- A new flight to their destination or a full ticket refund
- Vouchers for meals and lodging and related transport, if needed
- Cash, travel vouchers, and other perks
Because of their focus on hospitality, Emirates has been known to offer enticing compensation packages for volunteers that can include upgrades to business class and access to the Marhaba Lounge at the Dubai airport.
Emirates will refuse boarding to certain passengers
If there aren’t enough volunteers, Emirates will begin denying some passengers boarding, usually based on who checked-in for the flight last. If you’re chosen, then you have been involuntarily denied boarding, and you’ll be provided with:
- A new flight to their destination or a full ticket refund
- Vouchers for meals and lodging and related transport, if needed
- Cash compensation up to £520 (€600) if you depart from an EU or UK airport.
If you were involuntarily downgraded to a lower seating class on your rebooked flight, you will be compensated but if you are upgraded, you don’t have to pay the difference.
How Much Compensation Can You Get for Emirates Overbooking?
Emirates isn’t based in the UK or EU, but they must comply with UK261 and EU261 regulations when their flights depart from airports in these regions. So, if you’ve been involuntarily denied boarding an overbooked Emirates flight, you will be entitled to the following amounts based on the distance of your flight. You should receive these amounts immediately without having to specifically request it.
Flight Distance | Compensation Payout |
Flights under 1,500 km | £220 (€250) |
Flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km | £350 (€400) |
Flights over 3,500 km | £520 (€600) |
By contrast, if your flight is departing from Dubai, then Emirates only has to comply with the rules of the UAE. So, if your flight from Dubai is overbooked and you’re denied boarding, you will only be offered meal vouchers and free lodging for very long delays. The airline does not offer cash compensation to passengers unless they are forced to, based on local laws.
Emirates Routes with the Most Overbooking
While you might not be able to avoid overbooked flights completely, it is helpful to know which routes are overbooked the most. For Emirates, the most oversold routes are:
- London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted) to Dubai
- Paris Charles de Gaulle to Dubai
Need to check the status of your Emirates flight? Check our Emirates real-time flight tracker.
Take These Steps if You’re Denied Boarding on Emirates
1. Ask why it happened
Ask Emirates why you were denied boarding. They should provide you a statement, outlining why you were refused boarding and the approximate compensation total. Keep this document because if you don’t receive your payout, you’ll need to file a claim.
2. Decide on a new flight or a refund
Ask about a new flight to your destination. You do have the option to request a refund, which might be a good idea if you would rather find a flight with a different airline.
3. Inquire about compensation, care, and assistance
If you were bumped because of overbooking, Emirates should give you your compensation payout right away. Also, be sure to request vouchers for meals and hotel accommodation if you won’t depart until the next day.
When are you ineligible for denied boarding compensation?
You will not receive compensation from Emirates if you were denied boarding because of the following reasons.
- You were intoxicated.
- You were interfering with or not following the instructions of the flight crew.
- You were displaying unruly behaviour towards the crew and other passengers.
- You were denied boarding because of other reasons aside from overbooking.
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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