Most people lament getting bumped off an overbooked flight, but some savvy travelers actually relish the thought of getting bumped so they can collect those lucrative travel vouchers. Either way, it's helpful to find out which flights are most likely to be overbooked so you can plan your trip accordingly. Thankfully, there are some websites specifically designed to help you navigate the murky waters of flight overbooking and make an informed decision.
Take note of how many seats are available when booking your flight online. You will see which seats are still for sale on the plane when you get to the "choose seats" portion of your online booking process. If there are only a few seats left, you may have a higher chance of being bumped when you arrive at the gate. If this is your intention, proceed to booking. If not, restart the booking process and choose another flight.
Check an overbooked flight tracking site such as Bump Tracker to see what flights others have been bumped from recently. Overbooked flights tend to reoccur on heavily traveled routes through that airline's main travel hub. Comparing notes with others who have been bumped will show patterns to plan your trip around. The site also gives tips on how to get the most of your travel vouchers if you do get bumped.
Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation website to view the latest overbooking report data. Here you will see a list of airlines, ranked in order of how often they bump passengers from their flights. If you are trying to avoid getting bumped off an overbooked flight, choose an airline near the top of the list.
Be flexible while booking your flight online if you are actually trying to get bumped to receive a travel voucher. Choose travel dates that coincide with traditionally high traffic days. For example, the first Saturday of spring break to Hawaii and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving are prime dates for being overbooked.
