What to Do if LOT Polish Airlines Overbooks Your Flight: An Expert Guide
Overbooked flights are one of the most maddening experiences a passenger can have. You seemingly do everything possible to avoid issues with your flight, and then at the last minute you’re prevented from boarding.
If you were involuntarily denied boarding a LOT Polish Airlines flight because of overbooking, you’re entitled to receive up to £520 (€600).
In this guide, we’re going to explain what overbooking is, why LOT does it, what they owe you if you’re denied boarding, and how to avoid overbooked flights in the future.
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Why LOT Overbooks Flights
LOT Polish Airways overbooks flights to ensure that no aircraft is flying under capacity. When flights operate with empty seats, the airline doesn’t make as much money. To offset this, LOT will sell more tickets than what the flight can hold to make up for potential no-shows.
Some passengers don’t make it to the airport in time, others cancel, and another group will miss their flight because of earlier flight cancellations or delays. Most of the time, LOT can accurately predict how much to overbook a flight, but occasionally they miscalculate and all ticketed passengers arrive for boarding.
When this happens, the airline must find a way to free up a certain number of seats, and to do this they will begin the boarding denial process.
What Overbooking Means for LOT Passengers
As soon as LOT realises the flight is oversold, they will make an announcement at the boarding gate asking if anyone is willing to surrender their seat. They will award volunteers with a seat on a later flight and some additional compensation.
The compensation they offer can be generous, especially if they desperately need to find volunteers, but at very least it will include meals and hotel accommodation, as needed, and other perks like lounge access and seat upgrades. If you have the flexibility, it’s always worth considering accepting one of these offers. If you willingly give up their seat, then you have been voluntarily denied boarding.
Sometimes the airline can’t get enough volunteers, in which case they will select passengers who will be involuntarily denied boarding.
If you’re a family with small children, disabled, or a first class passenger, you will not be chosen, but if you checked-in late, don’t have a confirmed seat, or were one of the last to arrive at the gate, your chances of being denied boarding increase.
Your Rights as a LOT Passenger
Because LOT is a Polish airline, you are protected by EU Regulation EU261 whenever you fly to, from, or within the EU or UK. The UK’s UK261 is nearly identical to the EU regulations. These rules state that if you are denied boarding because the flight was overbooked, LOT must provide the following:
- A rebooking to your destination at no extra cost, or
- A refund if you don’t want to continue with your trip.
- Meals, refreshments, and access to communication at the airport if you have to wait for your new flight to depart.
- Hotel lodging and related transport if you must wait overnight for your flight to depart.
LOT Compensation for Overbooked Flights
You are also entitled to cash compensation up to £520 (€600) if you’re denied boarding because of overbooking. The precise amount you get is based on the distance of your flight and must be given to you immediately. LOT should also give you written confirmation of why you were bumped, your rights, and your estimated compensation amount.
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) |
What to Do if You’re Denied Boarding by LOT Polish Airlines
Speak with LOT Airlines gate agents
Ask them for written confirmation that you were involuntarily denied boarding. You should be given a document stating the amount of compensation you’re owed, and you should be issued the money immediately.
Request a rebooking to your final destination
You might be able to get some perks like a seat upgrade on your new flight or lounge access if you have to wait. If the denied boarding incident made your travel plans useless, you can also request a full ticket refund.
Ask for care and assistance
If your wait at the airport extends for hours, LOT is obligated to offer care. This usually includes food and drink vouchers, access to communication, and hotel accommodations if necessary.
Document everything
You should receive your compensation right away, but if you don’t, collect as much supporting documentation as possible, including communication with LOT agents, any documents you were given, and anything else that can help you file a claim.
When You’re Ineligible for Cash Compensation
Not every denied boarding situation will be eligible for compensation. The following list provides a few circumstances when LOT will not have to compensate you for denied boarding.
- Intoxication or acting under the influence of illegal drugs
- Interfering with the duties of the flight crew
- Failure to have the correct travel documents
- Posing a security or safety concern
- Engaging in unruly behaviour towards the crew and other passengers. An example is physically assaulting a passenger or threatening airline staff.
- Presenting communicable health issues
Frequently Overbooked LOT Routes
You might not be able to avoid overbooked flights completely, but it may help to know which flights are typically overbooked the most. Generally, any busy travel season or route will increase your chances of having a flight overbooked. For LOT, the busiest routes include:
- Warsaw (WAW) – London (LHR, LGW, LTN)
- Warsaw (WAW) – Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
- Warsaw (WAW) – Kyiv (Boryspil & Zhuliany) (KBP, IEV)
- Warsaw (WAW) – Frankfurt (FRA)
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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