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Article: Summer Is Peak Season for Airlines to Overbook and 'Bump' Passengers.(Originated from The Orange County Register, Calif.)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- May 5, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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May 5--It's summer vacation time again, one of the seasons when airlines are most likely to "do the bump."
No, not the 1970s dance craze. "Bumping" is the practice of forcing passengers with tickets off an overbooked flight.
While only a fraction of air travelers ever face the problem, peak travel periods such as summer and Christmas are when overbooked flights are most likely.
On average, about 50,000 passengers are involuntarily bumped by the nation's 10 largest airlines each year, according to Department of Transportation statistics.
Airlines intentionally overbook flights because some passengers with reservations -- ...