Im confirmed on a plane but the only problem is, is that there are no seats available, what should i do?

Question

What can i do, or what will happen if im already confirmed on a plane but then there are no seats available?

Answer 1

The airline probably oversold the flight, which happens a lot. They count on no-shows and last-minute cancellations to open up, so they can give them to passengers such as yourself and still fly at full capacity. If you want to feel better, you can call the airline directly though they won't likely be able to help you.

Unfortunately, you're pretty much at the airline's mercy. The best thing would be to check in as early as possible because if a flight is oversold, they start giving seats to passengers with unassigned seats (like you) in the order that they check in. Even if you check in online, be sure to check in 'live' at the gate or baggage area just to be safe.

Good luck!

Answer 2

In nearly every case, there actually are seats, but for various reasons the airlines don't release them until close to the flight date. (Saving them for people who buy expensive tickets at the last minute, for example.)

Be sure to get to the airport with plenty of time, at least an hour for flights within the US, longer for international flights. When you arrive, you'll probably be able to get a seat at the counter or one of the ATM-like checkin machines. If not, when you get to the gate, if they think it's possible that the flight is overbooked, they will ask for volunteers who'd be willing to take a later flight in return for a free ticket to use later. They usually get lots of volunteers for that, which releases enough seats so that everyone else gets on the plane.

In the extremely rare case that everyone shows up, you might be bumped to a later flight, and the airline owes you $200. (Demand cash, not a voucher.) But that really is rare, in 30 years of flying it's only happened to me once, I got a later flight so it wasn't a big deal, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 3

try calling customer service before deciding on what to do! i always do this and 99.99% of times they are very efficient with my time and i always have a solution! ^^

good luck and cheers ^O^

Answer 4

They probably told you that seat selection is available only at the departure gate.  It is overbooked, or some carriers hold seats and release them near departure time.  Be ready to bargain with the if you are not in a hurry and take a bump.  the rewards can be quite worthwhile.  They will get a volunteer to give up his seat for you, but if you are denied you will be paid a much higher compensation called DBC,  Good luck.

Answer 5

Every airline holds seats for the gate to assign for passengers with disablities and seperated families. Nobody wants someone else's 3 year old next to them with mom 20 aisles away. If your concerned they are overbooked, call the airline and ask them. By law they have to tell you if they are overbooked or not. They're not supposed to say by how many though. I have worked a gate for the last year and have only had to pay out maybe 4 people on an oversold flight.

People just don't show up sometimes.

On a side note, Congress just passed a new law that if your involuntarily denied boarding, as in the airline can't get you a seat at all, your compensation might be more than the standard $400. It depends on how much you paid for your ticket.

Answer 6

If you check in 2 hours prior to your flight and it is overbooked you still shouldn't have a problem.

If it is overbooked and no one will take a "bump" the last passengers to check in will be the 1st to be bumped.  

If your flight is in the states and early in the morning, most likely there will be passengers that will offer to take the bump for the free flight compensation.

I keep watching the flights I'm booked on.  If it is full/overbooked then I will be sure to be at the AP early.  What the heck.  I eat at the AP instead of the hotel.  I would rather do that then get bumped.

Answer 7

If you have a confirmed ticket, then they have to put you on the plane, or compensate you. What they will do will be based on the airline involved. You should ask someone at the airline instead of a bunch of uninformed people with too much time on our hands.