The Overbooking Reality
Airlines in India, following guidelines from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), often overbook flights. This practice aims to minimize empty
seats by booking a few more passengers than available seats. While this seems counterintuitive, it's a strategy to ensure flights depart as full as possible. However, this can lead to situations where passengers with confirmed bookings, even those who paid extra for specific seats, might be denied boarding. A recent incident highlighted this issue when a passenger, despite booking in advance and paying for seat selection, was refused boarding on a Pune-Bengaluru flight because it was overbooked and they hadn't completed web check-in.
Web Check-in: Your Seat's Guardian
While not strictly mandatory in India, performing a web check-in, typically available 24-48 hours before departure, is highly recommended. This process is crucial for securing your seat, especially on flights that are overbooked or full. Airlines often prioritize passengers who have completed web check-in. The passenger in the incident explained that they didn't see the need for web check-in as they had checked luggage and would need to visit the counter anyway. However, the airline's stance was that since they hadn't checked in online, their reserved seat was reassigned to someone else. This underscores that web check-in doesn't just reserve a seat; it actively ensures it's assigned to you and less likely to be given away.
Passenger Rights & Compensation
The DGCA acknowledges that in cases of overbooking, airlines may deny boarding to passengers who have confirmed bookings and report on time. In such scenarios, the airline has the discretion to offer benefits or compensation. According to CAR, Section 3, Series M, Part IV, if more passengers report than available seats, airlines must first seek volunteers to relinquish their seats for incentives. If no volunteers are found, and boarding is denied, passengers are entitled to compensation. This includes monetary compensation based on fare, or an alternate flight. If an alternate flight is scheduled within one hour of the original, no compensation is due. However, for flights departing within 24 hours, compensation is 200% of the basic fare plus fuel charge (max Rs 10,000). For departures over 24 hours later, it's 400% (max Rs 20,000). If a passenger opts out of an alternate flight, they receive a full refund plus 400% compensation.
Navigating Denied Boarding
To mitigate the risk of denied boarding due to overbooking, it's advisable to perform web check-in and arrive at the airport well ahead of your scheduled departure. If you find yourself denied boarding despite having a confirmed ticket and arriving on time, it's important to take specific steps. First, confirm the exact reason for denial. If the airline is at fault, request written confirmation of the denial and assert your right to compensation or free rebooking. You also have the option to lodge a formal complaint with the DGCA, providing all supporting evidence, to ensure your case is reviewed.
