This common booking mistake could get you bumped from a flight— but there’s an easy way to avoid it

Avoiding this common booking practice can make your air travel process less turbulent.

It’s routine for airlines to overbook flights based on historical no-show data, which can ultimately result in some passengers being bumped from the flight.

Bumping, or denied boarding, happens when there are more passengers than available seats on the plane.

If no one volunteers to give up their seats, then the airlines follow specific criteria that will decide who won’t be boarding the plane.

There’s a common booking mistake people make that could lead them to be without a seat on a flight — booking basic economy.

“Even within economy, basic fares are at the bottom of the priority list,” Jesse Neugarten, founder of Dollar Flight Club, told Travel + Leisure.

Passengers within the basic economy class will be among the first to be involuntarily denied boarding. If you’re not willing to be flexible or need to get to your destination on time, it’s usually worth paying the extra fare for the standard economy ticket.

Other things can lead to passengers getting bumped, such as checking in late or flying solo.

Especially if you’re in a basic economy, it’s vital to check in as early as possible. “The earlier you check-in, the less likely you are to lose your seat,” Neugarten said.

It also helps to select your seat in advance, which tells the airline that your spot is claimed — but there are no guarantees. Sticking with one airline pays, too, since frequent fliers and those with a loyalty status often get an advantage in the bumping process.

Neugarten also suggested flying on off-peak hours to avoid getting bumped because “busy travel days like Sundays and holidays are more likely to be overbooked.”

If you, unfortunately, get bumped from a plane, Neugarten said to ask the gate agent for a written explanation of your rights — they’re required to provide one.

Something many flyers don’t realize is that gate agents can give booted passengers compensation and sometimes things like a seat on the next available flight, a meal voucher or a hotel accommodation if you have to stay overnight.

If an airline gets you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time, you’re not entitled to compensation.

However, if you’re delayed by one to two hours on a domestic flight or one to four hours on an international flight, you’re entitled to 200% of the one-way fare, up to $1,075, per the U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.

If you’re delayed longer than that, you can get 400% of the one-way fare, up to $2,150.

It’s important to note that compensation is only for passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding — not passengers who willingly gave up their seat to be moved to another flight, according to the expert.

One couple experienced getting bumped — yet in their situation, they were told there was only one seat and they would have to be split up on different flights because they didn’t reserve seats in advance.

“There was no compassion or care whatsoever. After going back and forth, we said we’re not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours,” a man named Scott McCormick told Kennedy News.