Denied boarding although I have proper visa and documentation. To whom should I make a complaint?

1. What happens if you are denied boarding?
2. Can I get a refund if I am denied boarding?
3. Can you be refused to fly?
4. How do airlines choose who gets bumped?
5. Can airline staff deny boarding?
6. Is overbooking legal?
7. Can you board the wrong plane?
8. Can an airline sell your seat?
9. Can airlines change departures?
10. How long does an airline have to refund you?
11. Does airline have to refund if they cancel flight?
12. Can airlines force you to take a voucher?
13. Why you should never take the voucher when bumped from a flight?
14. Can you sue an airline for overbooking?

What happens if you are denied boarding?

Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation that is based on the price of their ticket, the length of time that they are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding, and whether their flight is a domestic flight or an international flight ...

Can I get a refund if I am denied boarding?

If the airline refuses to let you board your flight or cannot give you a valid reason why you were denied boarding, you may ask for compensation. ... If you have compensated by cash, the airline has to refund the money immediately OR if you have paid by credit card, the money has to be refunded within 7 days.

Can you be refused to fly?

Airline restrictions on flying

Airlines can refuse to carry passengers if there could be serious consequences to a passenger's health during flight, or they have medical conditions that may worsen during a flight.

How do airlines choose who gets bumped?

Some general guidelines that airlines use to determine who will be bumped include: Those who didn't choose a seat when booking a flight. Those who check-in at the last minute. Those who aren't at the gate 30 minutes before take-off.

Can airline staff deny boarding?

But no matter what the situation or the excuse, the law is very clear on one thing: Airlines cannot refuse to carry someone for impermissible reasons, such as their race or gender, the Department of Transportation said.

Is overbooking legal?

Yes, it is legal to overbook flights according to federal law. However, there are rules about how to compensate a passenger if they are bumped from a flight because it was oversold and there were not enough seats for every passenger who showed up.

Can you board the wrong plane?

Yes. “Thousands of Passengers End Up At The Wrong Airport Every Year,” reports Blake Fleetwood in the Huffington Post.

Can an airline sell your seat?

Most airlines intentionally overbook flights, selling more tickets than available seats for a journey. They do this in anticipation of people "no-showing" on the day of the journey, and the practice is not illegal. Travel experts have warned that as many as 150 tickets are sold for every 100 seats available.

Can airlines change departures?

Yes, they can do it. Your reservation says you're departing from a completely different airport than the one you booked, and with traffic, you're going to be cutting it close. ...

How long does an airline have to refund you?

European Regulation EC 261/2004 obliges the airline to refund the full price of the ticket within 7 days in case of a cancelled flight.

Does airline have to refund if they cancel flight?

In the following situations, passengers are entitled to a refund of the ticket price and/or associated fees. Cancelled Flight – A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel.

Can airlines force you to take a voucher?

The key point here is that there needs to be a signed agreement by the passenger to say they are willing to accept vouchers in place of money. If the passenger has not done so then they are under no obligation to accept the airline's offer of vouchers and can insist on cash.

Why you should never take the voucher when bumped from a flight?

A former flight attendant has warned travelers in the US not to take vouchers if they are ever involuntarily bumped from a full flight — because they're entitled to cold, hard cash.

Can you sue an airline for overbooking?

If you the cost of being bumped exceeds what you were paid at the airport, you can always try to negotiate a higher settlement via the airline's complaint department, the agency says. And if that doesn't work, you can sue.