#passenger-rights

#passenger-rights

According to AirHelp, roughly 248 million U.S. passengers experienced flight disruptions in 2025, with an estimated 21 million potentially eligible for up to $650 in compensation. The company's 2025 Disruption Report ranks U.S. airports serving more than 10 million passengers by the highest and lowest rates of disruption, and identifies the months and days when delays were most (and least) likely to occur.

While it may sound surprising, it's completely legal for airlines to overbook flights, and, according to Jesse Neugarten, founder of Dollar Flight Club, they do so "all the time." He continues, telling Travel + Leisure, "Airlines are legally allowed to sell more tickets than there are seats on a plane because they know some people won't show up." Think of it as a numbers game based on historical data. "Most of the time, it works out, but every now and then, too many people show up, and someone has to get bumped."

The somewhat hidden clue is in the sequence number, or simply "SEQ" on a boarding pass, which references the order in which passengers can check in for a flight. That order can then be used to determine who is able to board a flight, and who is not. In fact, that same sequence number can be used to determine whether a passenger gets involuntarily bumped from a flight, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), if your flight is cancelled due to a labour disruption, airlines must offer you a choice between a cash refund or a rebooked flight.

"Many crew members and avid cruisers can tell you about seeing 'pier runners' sprinting down the dock only to watch in horror as their ship pulls up its gangway and sails off into the sunset without them."

Consumer protection for Eurostar passengers is significantly weaker than for airline passengers, who benefit from extensive EU regulations regarding delays and cancellations.

The practice of airlines overbooking flights is routine, especially during peak seasons. They sell more tickets than seats, banking on no-shows.

Regulations in the European Union protect air passengers traveling from or to EU countries, ensuring rights during delays, cancellations, and lost baggage situations.

The report highlights that inconsistent treatment for ticketing issues leaves passengers vulnerable to prosecution, even for honest mistakes, undermining trust in the railway system.

Was hoping to finish knitting my sock on this flight but guess it will have to wait.