Do flights get over booked?

[Holidaysun2025]

Is it true that some airlines over book. And you could end up with no flight. And then it messes up your transfer etc.

Yes all the time. Most if not all scheduled flights are.

Yes but in that case the airline still has a duty to get you to your destination and pay costs like overnight accommodation. Most will ask for volunteers first.

Yes, last flight I was on they asked for a volunteer to be put on another flight the next day. They said the flight wouldn't leave unless someone came forward (someone did). I assume they would have bounced someone if there were no volunteers. I'm also assuming they wouldn't have kicked me off and left my two DC on the flight; or kicked off one of my DC!

That's what I was worried about. I'm hoping they can't do that.

I presume they do but I’ve never been asked to be bumped. Do you get offered any kind of compensation for eg missing half a day of your holiday?!

Yes you're offered compensation.

In 2014 we were offered £300pp to take a later flight that day to Miami. Would have done it as there is 5 of us so £1500 would have been lovely but my dad was collecting us from airport and I couldn't get hold of him as it was nighttime there.

DH has been "waitlisted" twice (in one weekend, on two different airlines!) But fortunately got on both times. One flight was alone, 2nd flight with me and the children but he was on a different booking (so he went to the top of the list fortunately when they realised at check in, it had 20 people on it!).

HIS tip after that was to always check in ASAP.

Flew to Dublin a few weeks ago and they offered £250 plus a taxi to a different London airport to take a flight 3 hours later. Wished I could have taken the offer.

They were offering hotel + meals + transfer and I think they offered a choice of 200€ bank transfer or €300 voucher.

It's mainly the flag carriers, budget airlines generally don't do it.

I was once bumped from an overbooked KLM flight but it worked out well as it was indirect and they put me on a direct BA flight so I actually got where I was supposed to go earlier than planned.