bumping

Definition

Denial of seats to passengers with confirmed tickets for an overbooked flight. As a general (and legal) practice, airlines issue more tickets than available-seats to prevent losses due to no-show passengers. Bumped passengers are usually offered a higher booking class (first class instead of economy, for example) on a next flight, vouchers for cash or tickets for future travel, and/or hotel accommodation (as detailed in the carrier's contract of carriage). Air cargo and luggage too is bumped as airlines prefer to carry passengers (if available) than goods because, pound for pound, fares bring in more revenue than freight. Shipping and trucking companies bump low freight-rate cargo for the high freight-rate one.