When you travel on official business using a CPP contract fare, the airline treats you the same as any other passenger. This means airlines may potentially “bump” or deny you boarding on a flight when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats. There are two types of bumping that occur when airlines oversell a flight, voluntary and involuntary bumping.
How to avoid being bumped from a flight
- Sign up for each airline’s frequent flyer programs and add them to your profile.
- Add your TSA PreCheck number to your profile.
- Select a seat assignment in advance of your flight.
- Check in to your flight on time.
- Be ticket ready prior to arriving at the airport.
- Arrive at the departure gate on time and board when your group is called.
Voluntary bumping
Voluntary bumping is when you volunteer to give up your seat for a later flight for a negotiated compensation, usually in the form of flight vouchers. Please follow the policy guidance in the FTR 301-10.123 to understand when you can keep the flight voucher for your personal use.
Involuntary bumping
If the airline cannot find enough volunteers to fly on a different flight, they will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called involuntary bumping. The first passengers to be bumped are those who did not check in to their flight or arrive at the gate on time.
If you are involuntarily bumped, the airline may issue you a Denied Boarding Compensation(DBC); however, this compensation belongs to the government. FTR 301-10.122 advises the process to follow if you are issued a DBC. For more information visit the DOT web pages: Bumping & Oversales and Airline Consumers’ Rights FAQ.
U.S. General Services Administration