Upgraded Points‘ latest study has undercovered the frequency of involuntary denied boardings across major U.S. airlines, highlighting the carriers most likely to bump passengers in 2024.

“Few travel experiences are more frustrating than being bumped from a flight after purchasing a ticket. Yet it happens frequently since airlines routinely sell more tickets than available seats in anticipation of no-shows,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. “We studied this industry practice to give travelers a heads-up on which carriers are most likely to have this issue.”

Study Methodology

Upgraded Points analyzed Department of Transportation data on denied boardings from Q1 2023 to Q2 2024 from the largest U.S. airlines. The analysis looked at both voluntary and involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers for accurate airline comparisons. The study also surveyed over 2,000 Americans to gain insight into expectations for compensation when denied boarding.

The Airlines Most Likely To Bump Passengers

The study shows an average of 0.47 involuntary bumps and 2.85 voluntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers across the 10 airlines analyzed.

Frontier Airlines tops the list by a significant margin, bumping over 400% more passengers than the next airline.

Involuntary Denied Boardings per 10K Passengers:

1. Frontier Airlines: 3.21
2. American Airlines Network: 0.60
3. Spirit Airlines: 0.43
4. Southwest Airlines: 0.14
5. JetBlue Airways: 0.09

State Residents That Would Want the Most Money if They Were Bumped From a Flight

On average, Americans say they would need $599 to voluntarily give up their seat due to an airline overbooking a flight. However, some state residents expect much more to make up for the inconvenience. The residents from the states that would require the most money are:

1. California: $832
2. Iowa: $799
3. Utah: $784
4. Alabama: $774
5. Texas: $729

Beyond compensation, the study revealed other considerations that come with denied boardings:

• Nearly half of Americans (46%) say the longest delay they’d accept on a future flight is 2 to 4 hours if they voluntarily gave up their seat. However, 13% would be willing to wait over 7 hours if necessary.
• 50% of Americans would be less likely to give up their seat during peak travel times, like the holidays.
• 42% think fair compensation for being bumped involuntarily is a 200% refund plus rebooking on the next available flight. 27% believe the refund should be 400% or more, while 25% think a 100% refund is enough.

Dive deeper into the data by visiting the full study online.

About Upgraded Points LLC

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Upgraded Points is a travel company that helps to demystify the complex world of travel and credit cards. Launched in 2016 by Alex Miller, Upgraded Points uses targeted research efforts and in-depth studies to help travelers maximize their travel, points, and experiences. Learn more at: www.UpgradedPoints.com.