Viral TikTok video points out airlines can owe big refunds for bumping some passengers
HOUSTON - A woman went viral on TikTok, saying if you're bumped from a flight, you can get four times your money back for the ticket. Turns out, it's true.
Erika Kullberg is an attorney and social media influencer.
She posted a video, now viewed by more than 30 million people, that says the fine print on an airline ticket reads that if you're bumped and the next flight you're booked on results in an over 2-hour delay, you're entitled to four times the cost of your one-way fare.
"According to the Department of Transportation, since the next flight you can get me on results in over a 2-hour delay, I'm entitled to four-time cost of my one-way fare. I paid $250 for the one-way fare, so that will be $1,000," explained Kullberg in her video.
The U.S. Department of Transportation confirms that 'involuntary denied boarding' is the term for being bumped from a flight when it's oversold. It is legal for airlines to oversell seats on flights to make up for no-shows.
The DOT website says if you are delayed one to two hours after your originally scheduled arrival time, you're entitled to 200% of your one-way fare, capped at $775.
If you have a more than 2-hour delay past your original arrival time, the website reads that you're entitled to 400% the one-way fare, capped at $1,550.
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To be compensated, the airline has to require you to give up your seat, and you must have checked in and arrived at the gate on time.
The DOT site says airlines must offer you compensation while you're at the airport or within 24 hours if you've left to take alternative transportation.