After the recent scandal with United Airlines, the common practice of overbooking has come into the spotlight. And while you might be willing to volunteer to go on another plane, sometimes you simply cannot risk being kicked off your flight.
Here are some tips on how you can avoid being bumped from your seat.
1. Join the frequent flyer program
When it comes to prioritising passengers, the passengers who paid more for their seats are higher up the ladder. Similarly, if you are part of the airline's frequent flyer program, you become somewhat of an elite member. This also means you are less likely to be kicked off the plane since the airline will want to avoid disgruntling its most loyal passengers.
2. Avoid peak travel dates
The holiday seasons are particularly busy, which means they are likely overbooked. So where possible, try to travel on dates that aren't close to these peak seasons.
To take things one step further, don't book a flight on a Friday or Sunday as they are the busiest days of the week. You can make a bump off the plane less likely if you fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.
3. Show up early
Organising your schedule is always important for travelling, but being early is particularly important if you want to avoid getting kicked off your plane. Show up at the gate at least half an hour before the scheduled departure time.
Even better, check in online as soon as you can. If you're already checked-in and on your way to the gate as some passengers wait in line at check in, you improve your chances of staying on the flight. It is similar to a first-come-first-serve basis.
4. Choose a seat when you book
Another great way to lower the chances of being bumped is to have an assigned seat. It's easier to kick someone off a flight when they don't have a seat. A little extra tip: If your airline doesn't let you choose a seat when you buy your ticket, it's likely that the flight will be overbooked, so you might want to look at alternatives.
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