Bumped from a US flight? You may be owed up to $2,150 — in cash.
Overbooking is legal in the US, but involuntary bumping is expensive for airlines — by law. If you were denied boarding against your will on a flight within or departing the US, federal rules set exactly what you're owed.
The amounts (involuntary bumping)
| Arrival delay on the replacement flight | Domestic US | International, departing the US |
|---|---|---|
| Within 1 hour | $0 | $0 |
| 1 – 2 hours (domestic) / 1 – 4 hours (international) | 200% of one-way fare, max $1,075 | 200% of one-way fare, max $1,075 |
| Over 2 hours (domestic) / over 4 hours (international) | 400% of one-way fare, max $2,150 | 400% of one-way fare, max $2,150 |
US Department of Transportation rules, 14 CFR Part 250 — amounts current since the January 2025 inflation adjustment. Based on the one-way fare to your destination.
Volunteered? Different game.
Airlines must ask for volunteers before bumping anyone involuntarily. If you volunteer, the statutory amounts don't apply — you get whatever you negotiated, usually vouchers. Negotiate hard (asking price, meal, hotel, confirmed seat on the next flight, and cash-equivalent if you can get it) before you hand over the seat. Once you've volunteered, the 200%/400% right is gone.
Your rights when you're bumped against your will
Compensation is owed in cash or by cheque — at the airport, on the day. You do not have to accept travel vouchers instead. The airline must hand you a written statement of your rights. It doesn't apply if you checked in late, the swap was to a smaller aircraft for safety or weight reasons, or the replacement flight still gets you there within the hour.
Delays and cancellations: the honest part
There is no US law that pays cash compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight — anyone selling you "EU-style" payouts for a domestic US delay is selling fiction. What you do have: under DOT's 2024 refund rule, a cancellation or significant change (3h+ domestic, 6h+ international) that you decline means an automatic refund to your original payment, and major airlines have committed to meals and hotels for controllable delays on the DOT's public dashboard.
How to claim
- At the gate: ask for the written denied-boarding statement and the cash/cheque payment before you leave the airport.
- Keep your boarding pass, the rebooking details, and note your actual arrival time.
- Short-changed or refused? File a complaint with the US Department of Transportation — airlines must respond to DOT complaints, and the paper trail matters.
Run your flight — free, 30 seconds
The checker tests EU261, UK261, Canada APPR and US DOT at once and tells you the amount, the deadline and where to file. If you're owed, the Ready-to-Send Claim writes the letter for you — free for the founding cohort, and you keep 100% of the payout.
Check my flight →Information only, not legal advice. Amounts are the statutory figures; the disruption's cause decides real cases. Delay Wages is not affiliated with any airline or regulator.