Rights when boarding is denied

If you are not allowed to board, e.g. because a flight is overbooked, you may be able to claim compensation from the air carrier. In addition, you are entitled to re-routing or to have the cost of your flight ticket refunded.

What are you entitled to?

If you choose to rebook your flight, the air carrier must offer you reasonable care (meals and refreshments - non-alcoholic) while you wait for the next available flight departure.

You may also be entitled to hotel accommodation and transport between the hotel and airport if an overnight stay is necessary.

If the air carrier fails to offer refreshment when rebooking a flight

If you have chosen to rebook your flight and the air carrier fails to offer you reasonable care while waiting for your rebooked flight, you may purchase meals and refreshments (non-alcoholic) yourself and subsequently claim a refund for your purchases from the air carrier. 

You may also get a refund for reasonable expenses for hotel accommodation and transport to/from the hotel if an overnight stay was necessitated by the rebooked flight.

Remember to keep the receipts for your purchases so you can document your expenses to the air carrier.

Compensation for denied boarding

You may be entitled to compensation when denied boarding against your will. A general precondition is that you have a confirmed booking for the actual flight, that you are present at check-in and at boarding on time.

If you have voluntarily surrendered your reservation, you are entitled to a refund of your flight ticket or re-routing as well as a benefit(recompense), which is agreed upon between the passenger and the air carrier.

About compensation

As a passenger, you may be entitled to the following compensation amounts:

Within the EU:

  • 250 euro for flights under 1500 km
  • 400 euro for flights over 1500 km

Outside the EU: 

  • 250 euro for flights under 1500 km
  • 400 euro for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
  • 600 euro for flights over 3500 km

In certain instances, the air carrier may reduce your compensation by 50 % if you are rebooked on another flight. This depends on how far you are travelling and how quickly you arrive there.

Do you want to file a complaint regarding your flight?

You must first contact the air carrier. If you have not heard from the air carrier within six weeks or if you are dissatisfied with the air carrier's decision, you may have your complaint processed by the authority in the EU country where the incident occurred.
 
Read more

FAQs on denied boarding

Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding denied boarding.

Compensation

You are denied boarded if you are denied permission to board a flight - even though you have checked-in correctly and presented yourself for boarding on time. 

Note, it is not considered denied boarding if you, for example:

  • have incomplete travel documentation/ID
  • have an invalid entry permit or visa
  • have failed to checked-in at the indicated time
  • have failed to present for boarding at the indicated time
  • have failed to fulfil all the company’s terms and conditions
  • are rejected on grounds of health or security.

If you have chosen to rebook your flight due to being denied boarding and the air carrier fails to offer you reasonable care while waiting for your rebooked flight, you may purchase meals and refreshments (non-alcoholic) yourself and subsequently claim a refund for your purchases from the air carrier. 

You may also get a refund for reasonable expenses for hotel accommodation and transport to/from the hotel if an overnight stay is necessitated by the rebooked flight. 

If you have chosen not to be rebooked on another flight, you may be entitled to a full refund of the ticket price. You should, however, remember that you cannot have the ticket price refunded if you have chosen rebooking on another flight.

Remember to keep the receipts for your purchases so you can document your expenses to the air carrier. 

An air carrier is not normally obliged to refund consequential damages such as lost hotel bookings at your destination, unused rental vehicles, holiday residence expenses as well as other tourist services and consequential losses.  

Package travels are regulated by the Danish Package Travel Act and not by the EU Regulation. The Authority therefore recommends you to contact your travel agency regarding your rights in connection with a denied boarding. 

You can read more about your claiming rights for package travels on the website of the Travel Industry Complaints Board (Pakkerejseankenævnet).
 
Go to the homepage of Pakkerejseankenævnet (new window)

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to flights from Greenland and the Faroe Islands if the flight is arranged by an EU-registered air carrier.

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 does not apply to flights from Greenland and the Faroe Islands if the flight is arranged by an air carrier that is not domiciled in the EU, for example, Air Greenland and Atlantic Airways.

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands, irrespective whether the flight is arranged by an air carrier domiciled in the EU or not. 

You may be entitled to compensation if you have missed your connection flight due to denied boarding on the first leg of your flight/on your first flight. This is only applicable if the flights in question are booked as a single reservation. That is, if you travel using the same booking number for the whole trip. 

If this is not the case, the air carrier's liability is limited to the delayed departure. 

You may be entitled to compensation if you have – involuntarily – been denied boarding.

You should file a complaint in the EU country where boarding was denied. 

If boarding was denied in a non-EU country while you were travelling to an EU country with an EU-registered air carrier/a community carrier, you should file a complaint with the competent authority in the EU country in which you arrived.

See contact information for the competent European authorities (new window)

The final destination is the airport where your journey ends according to the information on your ticket.

Yes, the air carrier is entitled to deduct any day/night refunds you may have received from your travel agency for lost bookings at your destination due to the delayed departure. 

Yes, children under two years have an equal right to compensation as other passengers, irrespective of the ticket price paid for the child. The deciding factor is that a price has been paid for the ticket and therefore the ticket was not free.

Last updated 16-02-2022