Airlines take overbooking troubles to newer heights

Airlines say flights are mostly overbooked based on historical data. Representation pic

The aviation industry has witnessed a concerning trend as the months of May and June saw a significant increase in the number of passengers denied boarding by various airlines. According to numbers disclosed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a staggering 2,719 passengers were denied boarding in May, marking the highest number recorded in 2024. June followed closely with 2,364 passengers facing the same predicament.

This sharp rise in denied boarding incidents is particularly alarming given that the number of travellers remained relatively consistent across these months. The figures for the earlier months were notably lower, with January recording instances of 1,374 denied boarding, 917 in February, 943 in March, and 1,370 in April.

Passengers frustrated

Passengers have expressed frustration and confusion over the denials, with many finding themselves stranded despite having confirmed tickets. Srushti Rithe, an affected passenger said, "My sister and I had confirmed tickets from Mumbai to Guwahati but surprisingly on reaching the airport, we were told that the flight was overbooked and my sister was denied boarding. We were travelling for an educational seminar at Kaziranga and due to this overbooking and eventual denial of boarding, we could not attend the seminar. We were later offered compensation by the airline but that could never compensate for what we missed at the educational seminar."

Another affected passenger said, "I was travelling from Delhi to Mumbai for the funeral of a close kin. The family had agreed to wait for my arrival as I was very close to the family member who passed away and so I had booked the flight ticket the night he passed away. I reached the airport three hours prior to departure. While issuing boarding passes, I was told that the flight was overbooked and I had to give up my seat. I was not in a state of arguing as I had lost a family member very close to me. Then I was accommodated on an alternative flight which was almost four hours later so I could not make it on time for the funeral."

"I had a confirmed ticket and arrived well in advance, but was told there was no seat for me. This is unacceptable," said another affected passenger.

Experts speak

"We as industry experts are scrambling to understand the factors contributing to this surge. Overbooking and operational inefficiencies are among the speculated reasons. However, the consistent passenger numbers across months suggest that these denials are not merely due to increased travel demand as figures suggest that the increase in passenger number was not substantial. Also, DGCA should look at the concerning trend and initiate an independent investigation into the matter so that future flyers are not affected," the industry expert said.

Industry analysts also suggest that if this trend continues, it could erode consumer confidence in air travel.

The expert said, "As observed, the issue of overbooking has become substantial lately and that if the issue remains persistent, the bubble might rupture resulting in a massive passenger outrage. As it is, passengers are frustrated with delays and cancellations."

Aviation expert captain Mohan Ranganathan said, "The refund rules are loaded in favour of the airlines. All rules that the ministry and DGCA have formed have several grey areas which the airlines can exploit to deny repayments or refunds. Lately, the staff members of some airlines have also become rude."

Captain Shakti Lumba who retired as the vice-president of operations at Indigo told mid-day, "Generally overbooking is done based on historical data. A formula is derived on the basis of this data considering the number of passengers cancelling flight tickets historically in a particular sector. For example if there are 180 seats on an aircraft, based on historical figures, if average passenger ticket cancellations in that sector is 10 passengers, the airline books 10 extra seats.

Thus the total number of tickets sold is 190. If all 190 passengers show up on the day of the flight, 10 extra passengers naturally cannot be accommodated." He added, "There are rules set by DGCA for overbooking and the airline has to accommodate passengers on another flight."

Passengers denied boarding in 2024

January 1,374
February 917 lowest in 2024
March 943
April 1,370
May 2,719 highest in 2024
June 2,364