LOT Denied Boarding Compensation

LOT overbooking compensation / denied boarding compensation.

How much is flight overbooking compensation? Rules? How to get it?

To ensure that there are no empty seats, an airline may sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane. This is called “overbooking”, and it’s a very common practice in the aviation industry. LOT is not an exception. Their flights get overbooked, and their passengers get denied boarding too. Whenever that happens, LOT is obliged to pay EU denied boarding compensation.

There are two ways you can claim this compensation.

1. LOT Overbooking Compensation: EU Denied Boarding Regulations

Have you been denied boarding by LOT? 

What are your rights in case of denied boarding? Are you entitled to compensation? When it comes to denied boarding due to overbooking, the rules in the EU are very simple – you have a right to compensation if you have been refused boarding your flight. 

If you’re flying to or from Europe with LOT, and you are denied boarding due to overbooking — you are entitled to flight overbooking compensation (EU denied boarding compensation) up to €600. 

Keep in mind that this only applies to overbookings. If you are denied boarding because you didn’t have a visa, or if your passport is about to expire, you aren’t entitled to denied bearing compensation. If you voluntarily give up your seat, you are not entitled to LOT denied boarding compensation either. 

Read more: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; Regulation UK261

By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

1.1 Voluntary Denied Boarding

What is voluntary denied boarding?

Yes, there are different types of denied boarding. 

You can get denied boarding involuntarily, or you can agree to be denied boarding. The main difference is — in the first situation you can get compensation, in the second — you can’t. 

What is voluntary denied boarding? How does this work? If your flight is overbooked, and too many people show up, the airline will look for volunteers who will give up their seats and travel later. If this happens, you may be asked to give up your seat in exchange for a new flight and instant compensation in the form of vouchers or cash. If you are offered compensation like this and you accept it, it’s called voluntary boarding denial.

In this case, you aren’t entitled to denied boarding compensation from LOT.

You don’t have to agree to an offer like this.

1.2 Involuntary Denied Boarding

There are situations when passengers don’t have a choice.

There are not enough volunteers, or there are no volunteers at all. If this happens, the airline will bump passengers involuntarily. If this happens to you, on your LOT flight, you can get compensation from LOT. It’s not your fault you have been denied boarding. You weren’t a volunteer. You can get LOT denied boarding compensation in this case. 

What happens in case of involuntary denied boarding?

• The airline must give you a choice between a new flight and a full refund;
• In addition to that, you are entitled to receive care from the airline*;
• You are entitled to compensation up to €600 per passenger. 

* LOT must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. If you have to wait overnight, LOT must provide you with free accommodation and free transfer from and to the airport.

1.3 Right to Care

All passengers travelling with LOT have a right to care.

It doesn’t matter if you have been denied voluntarily or not, you have a right to receive care from LOT. If you are stuck at the airport waiting for your replacement flight, you can get certain services for free from LOT. It applies to all situations when you have to wait for 3 or more hours extra.

Including other flight disruptions such as flight delay and cancellation. You are entitled to receive care from the airline even if the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances.

What does it mean for you as a passenger?

LOT must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. If your flight leaves on the next day, you are entitled to a free hotel stay and a free hotel transfer.

Contact the airline if you haven’t been offered anything.

2. How to Claim LOT Flight Compensation? How to Claim Flight Overbooking Compensation?

You can claim compensation yourself.

The other option is to work with professionals.

Claiming compensation from LOT yourself. Contact LOT customer support center. Use the contact form on their website or contact them via social media channels. Request overbooking compensation, referring to the above mentioned EU regulations. Keep in mind that it may take months until you receive the denied boarding compensation LOT owes you.

You can also take the easiest path — legal representation.

Register your LOT compensation claim with a flight compensation company. In this case, you don’t have to do much. It will take only a few minutes of your time. Just fill in the compensation claim form, and the rest will be done by the flight compensation company. Our partners offer such services.

Read more:

• How to Claim LOT Compensation?
• LOT Missed Connection Compensation

2.1 How Long Does It Take?

It depends on a number of factors.

Like the time of the year and country you are flying from. 

If everything’s going well, and the airline is cooperating, the process could take between 2 to 3 months — from the moment you file a claim until your LOT denied boarding compensation is transferred to your bank account.

If LOT isn’t cooperative and refuses to pay compensation, it will be necessary to take your case to a national enforcement body or court. In this case, it will take longer to receive flight overbooking compensation.

3. How Much Can You Claim?

In the EU and the UK compensation amounts are fixed.

In most situations they range from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can calculate LOT overbooking compensation yourself:

When your destination is within the EU/UK:

When your destination is outside the EU/UK:

Claiming compensation yourself? This is the amount you should demand. LOT might offer you a smaller compensation at first. You don’t have to agree to anything less than you are entitled to. The compensation amounts are regulated by the EU law.

There’s one exception. When the flight distance is 3500+ kilometres and you reach your destination 3 to 4 hours later than planned, you are entitled only to 50% of the compensation amount (that means €300, not €600).

3.1 LOT Voucher Code, Discounts or Cash?

According to the law, compensations have to be paid in cash or by bank transfer.

LOT, just like most airlines, at first may offer you a voucher refund/compensation instead of money. Request a bank transfer instead. Because all airline compensations and refunds in the EU have to be paid in cash or by bank transfer.

LOT Denied Boarding Compensation: FAQ

Problems With Visa or Passport

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Other Situations

What is your experience? Have you ever received LOT overbooking compensation? Do you still have questions about LOT compensation claim procedures and policies? Ask in the comments.