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United Airlines didn’t bump as many passengers as these U.S. carriers last year: report

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United Airlines Under Fire
As United Airlines faces continued anger over passenger removal, Customer Experience Expert Marc Gordon weighs in on what the airline should have done – Apr 11, 2017

A video showing Dr. David Dao being dragged offUnited Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville, Ky. has touched off a widespread conversation on the practice of overbooking, or selling more tickets on a plane than there are seats.

It’s a widespread, longtime practice within the aviation industry. But it’s one that’s receiving extra scrutiny now, after an incident that prompted an apology to Dao from United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, who called his removal a “truly horrific event.”

United Airlines may be at the centre of the controversy, but the carrier didn’t bump more passengers than its competitors did last year, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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Statistics contained in an “Air Travel Consumer Report” looked at passengers who held confirmed reservations but were denied boarding, or “bumped” from flights because they were overbooked.

It ranked U.S. carriers based on involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers.

In total, there were 475,054 denied boardings on U.S. airlines last year. Out of those, 434,425 denials were voluntary, and 40,629 were involuntary.

And that was out of just under 660 million passengers in total.

The average number of involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers was 0.54 across U.S. carriers.

READ MORE: What are your rights on an overbooked flight?

Those numbers were down from 2015.

Back then, there were 530,758 denied boardings, voluntarily and involuntary, due to oversales and that was with just over 601 million passengers in total — fewer than travelled in 2016.

The average involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 travellers was 0.69 that year.

A United Airlines Boeing 787 taxis as a United Airlines Boeing 767 lands at San Francisco International Airport in this February 7, 2015 file photo. Reuters/Louis Nastro

United Airlines ranked in the bottom half of all U.S. carriers for overbookings last year; it was in the top half for 2015.

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Airlines are, of course, allowed to bump passengers from flights when they overbook.

United Airlines warns passengers that all flights can be subject to overbooking, and that it retains the right to remove people.

New rules around overbooking may soon be coming to Canada: the federal government is preparing to introduce new legislation that will include bumping rules in an air passenger bill of rights.

READ MORE: Canada to unveil legislation to address overbooked flights

United Airlines may be the focus of a discussion around overbooking now.

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But there are other U.S. airlines that are more likely to bump passengers against their will.

Here’s a list of U.S. carriers, ranked by involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers:

 12) Hawaiian Airlines

In this April 21, 2014 file photo, a Hawaiian Airlines flight arrives from San Jose, Calif., in Kahului Airport in Kahului, Hawaii. AP Photo/Oskar Garcia, File)

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.05

11) Delta Air Lines

In this July 28, 2014 file photo, a Delta Air Lines jet takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.10

10) Virgin America

In this Dec. 1, 2010, file photo, Virgin America’s inaugural flight between Los Angeles and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport comes in for a landing in Grapevine, Texas.
In this Dec. 1, 2010, file photo, Virgin America’s inaugural flight between Los Angeles and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport comes in for a landing in Grapevine, Texas. AP Photo/LM Otero, File

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.12

9) Alaska Airlines

In this photo taken March 24, 2015, an Alaska Airlines jet takes off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Wash.
In this photo taken March 24, 2015, an Alaska Airlines jet takes off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Wash. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.40

8) United Airlines

A United Airlines Airbus A319-131 narrow-body jet airliner lands at Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, B.C., January 26, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Bayne Stanley

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.43

7) Spirit Airlines

In this file photo taken June 13, 2010, a Spirit Airlines airplane sits on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.58

6) Frontier Airlines

An Embraer 190 (ERJ 190) jetliner, belonging to Frontier Airlines and operated by Republic Airlines, lands at Calgary, Alberta in Jan., 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Larry MacDougal

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.58

5) American Airlines

An Airbus A319 (A319-100) jetliner, belonging to American Airlines, passes the Luxor Hotel/Casino on the Las Vegas Strip as it takes off at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nv., on March 2, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Larry MacDougal

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.64

4) JetBlue Airways

In this Thursday, May 15, 2014, file photo, a JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 takes off from the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla. JetBlue reports financial results Tuesday, July 26, 2016. AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.92

3) Skywest Airlines

A SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ (CRJ-200) regional jetliner lands at Calgary, Alberta on June 7, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Larry MacDougal

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.98

2) Southwest Airlines

In a June 6, 2016, file photo, a Southwest Airlines jet gets ready to land at Tampa International Airport, in Tampa, Fla.
In a June 6, 2016, file photo, a Southwest Airlines jet gets ready to land at Tampa International Airport, in Tampa, Fla. Skip O'Rourke/The Tampa Bay Times via AP, File

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 0.99

1) ExpressJet Airlines

A model of an ExpressJet plane is displayed at a news conference at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, La., Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. AP Photo/Bill Haber

Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers: 1.51

  • With files from Emanuela Campanella and Jessica Vomiero

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