Qatar Airways Overbooking: What to Do if You Are Denied Boarding Due to Overbooking

What is Overbooking?

To make as much profit as possible, airlines sell more tickets for each flight than seats are available. This is due to that some people cancel their flight last minute or simply miss their flight. So, airlines take this into consideration and oversell tickets so that in the end, the flights are full of passengers and the airlines can maximize profits.

In theory it is all fine and well that airlines sell more tickets than seats available, but it becomes a big hurdle when you show up at the gate and out of the blue, suddenly, you are denied boarding due to overbooking at 2 am.

I can tell from personal experience that it is not much fun when staff at the boarding gate sends you to the customer service without any explanation (still 2 am). Then, the staff at the customer service told me with the most natural tone of voice that “yes, Qatar Airways 10% oversells tickets for all flights”. Great, I am glad that their business model works in a way that does not take into consideration the passengers.

What Happens if Qatar Airways Overbooks a Flight?

If there is overbooking on a flight, the legal protocol would be for the airline staff to first ask passengers at the gate if anyone is voluntarily willing to give up their seats. When my flight was overbooked, they skipped this step completely and didn’t ask if anyone would volunteer.

Instead, Qatar Airways had already made a decision on who would be bumped, without any of the passengers having a say. It was handled very poorly.

Basically, they let passengers queue for the boarding gate as usual, and when I got to the gate to board the flight, that’s when they told me to go to the customer service.

What was even worse is that they just told me to go to the customer service. When I asked them questions to clarify why, they didn’t even want to tell me the reason. It was their way of getting customers away from the gate, without anyone making a fuss for being denied boarding.

If it ever happens to you that they send you to the customer service when you are queueing to board your flight, it most likely means that your flight is overbooked, and you are being bumped.

The sad thing is that once the airline has made a decision that you are bumped, then at this point, there is not much you can do apart from having customer service to book you on the next best flight home, and get some compensation (hotel, lounge access, meal vouchers) while you wait for the next flight.

Why is there not much you can do? Because the decision to have you bumped is so final, they didn’t even put your luggage on the flight. When I found out that I am being bumped, one of my first thoughts were “where is my luggage”? It turns out, they have long known that I would not be boarding the flight, and they didn’t even put my luggage on the flight. I was so pissed.

Then, the staff at the customer service books you on the next flight available (you don’t have to pay for it). When they check the next flight for you, only accept the flight if it suits you. I recommend asking staff to check a couple of options.

When I was bumped from my flight from Doha to Budapest, the only available option was to take a flight to Budapest via Athens. Ultimately, my 5-hour flight to Budapest turned into a 12-hour trip with flight delays in Athens (but that’s a story for another day).

When you are offered an alternative flight, and you have to wait hours for the next flight, negotiate for a hotel or lounge access, and meal vouchers. I told customer service I would only accept being bumped and made to wait for the next flight if they provide lounge access and meal vouchers. I only had a 3-hour wait, if it had been longer, I would have asked for a hotel room at the airport.

They are in a way obliged to offer you meals and accommodation, but they won’t offer it to you unless you ask for it. Another way of them trying to save more money off passengers.

Air Passenger Rights & Airline Regulations

When you are at the gate, and out of the blue, you are involuntarily denied boarding, it’s good to know some of your basic rights. I didn’t really know my rights when I was denied boarding.

I would now advocate for my rights more and tell airline staff that legally they should first ask for volunteers, if anyone gives up their seat voluntarily. Denying boarding involuntarily is not legal, so once you agree to it, you have no power against the airline.

If airline staff denies you to board the flight due to overbooking, then the best is to negotiate the next best flight, get a hotel or lounge access and meal vouchers provided by the airline.

Tell them, you only accept the flight they offer if they can provide these facilities for you. Never pay for the alternative flight they offer, this has to be organized and paid for by the airline that bumped you off your original flight you fully paid for.

Then, once you get home, you should check your rights and whether you fall either into the EU Air Passenger Rights, Canada Air Passenger Rights, or USA Air Passenger Rights. You have more rights and get better compensation if you fall under any of these. Otherwise, Qatar Airways applies its own policy.

What to Do if Qatar Airways Denied Boarding Due to Overbooking?

Do They Offer a Refund?

No, Qatar Airways doesn’t offer a refund and the compensation you receive depends on your specific circumstances. Check if you fall under the  EU, US, or Canada Air Passenger Rights. If not, you will have to go with the compensation that fall under Qatar Airways policies.

In my case, I fell under the policy of Qatar Airways as the flight I got bumped from was a non-EU airline, departing from a non-EU country to an EU country. I still received compensation, but it was far from what I would have received if I was protected by the EU Passenger Rights.

Qatar Airways Overbooking Compensation

As I fell under the policy of Qatar Airways, I was offered a compensation of USD 250 for being bumped from my flight from Doha to Budapest.

It was a total dismay that the compensation was so little compared to the cost of my original flight, the disruption of my plans, the stress it caused, and the missed appointments as I arrived 12 hours later to my destination.

I laughed hard when they sent me the compensation, and they even deducted the bank transfer fees from the USD 250. I mean, can’t an airline afford to pay the compensation fully and pay for the transfer fees as well?

Once you agree to the compensation offered by Qatar Airways, you also have to sign a ‘Release and Discharge’ form through which you agree that you’ll never go after Qatar Airways for any other compensation due to being denied boarding. In a way, it states you’ll not take them to court in the future, and that this matter is settled once they pay your compensation.

The compensation is higher if you are protected by the EU, US, or Canada Air Passenger Rights,  so make sure to check it.

Overbooking Qatar Airways: Customer Support

When you are denied boarding at the gate, they send passengers to the Qatar Airways customer service at the airport to sort out your next flight. At the customer service, the staff also provides you the email address where you can email your complaint and request compensation.

The email address for customers who are denied boarding on Qatar Airways is tell-us@qatarairways.com.qa. I emailed to this email address for my complaint and compensation, and they always replied within 24 hours. I was skeptical and I wasn’t sure if the email address would work but they were very responsive.

Before you send your email, it is good to read your rights, so that you can include all the information in your email that fits your specific ciscumstances. Include here every detail how being denied boarding disrupted your plans.

After I agreed to the compensation and signed the ‘Release and Discharge’ form, the payment was processed within two weeks.