Traveling is stressful enough. The long flights, potential luggage issues, and sub-par food can start to take a toll. But, when a flight overbooks and you’re left to either volunteer to be put on a later flight or possibly be bumped involuntarily, it sucks. However, according to Erika Kullberg, it could suck a lot less.
The TikTok Lawyer
Erika Kullberg is an attorney who has made a name for herself on TikTok. While videos related to getting out of debt, Roth IRAs, and stocks don’t sound super enthralling, she’s made them cute and helpful. One video, titled What airlines don’t want you to know about getting “bumped”, has over 50 million views, and for good reason.
Reading the terms or the fine print can definitely be beneficial, and typically big businesses hope that you don’t read them. But, luckily, Kullberg has done the work for us. Basically, Kullberg states in the viral video that if you’re “bumped” from a flight you are entitled to compensation. And, the U.S. Department of Transportation backs this up.
How To Get That Money
Airlines over-book on purpose to make up for people who don’t show up or cancel last minute, ensuring that the flight is as profitable as possible. But, when everyone for the flight shows up at the gate, it can quickly turn into a problem.
The first thing to do when you’re bumped is to ask when the next flight is available. This matters because the length of the delay will affect how much money you receive. If it’s only a one-hour delay, you’re out of luck and won’t be awarded compensation. For a two-hour delay, you can receive two times the amount of your one-way ticket. And, for anything over two hours, you can receive four times the amount of your one-way ticket. Some airlines, however, may limit the compensation to a certain amount.
There are a few stipulations, though. According to the US Department of Transportation, you’re entitled to compensation if you have a confirmed reservation, checked in to your flight on time, arrived at the departure gate on time, and the airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your flight’s original arrival time.
There are also possible situations in which you wouldn’t be compensated. If the aircraft changes to a smaller plane, the flight is departing from a foreign country, or a passenger is downgraded from a higher class of seating, you wouldn’t be eligible for compensation.
Still, it is always important to know your rights so you don’t potentially end up losing time and money.
More From Suggest
Flight Attendant Shares Her Top 3 Packing Tips, And Her Last One Is Especially Genius
This Simple Tip Can Save You Hundreds On Your Next Flight
How You’re Getting Tricked Into Paying More For Your Vacation