Holiday Travel 2017: 30M People Expected to Fly This Year — And One in Five Americans Say No Amount of Compensation Is Worth Getting Bumped Off a Flight

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday travel is stressful enough, but, let's face it, it's much worse if you get bumped from your flight.

In fact, a survey by Policygenius found American consumers absolutely hate getting bumped — and not much is going to make up for the inconvenience. More than one in five people (20.7 percent) say no amount of money makes up for losing their seat on a flight. And if they do, more than half (55 percent) would require at least $5,000 (or wouldn't be satisfied with any amount) of compensation.

Respondents are also more willing to accept compensation to sit next to a screaming baby on the plane than to lose their seat. Nearly 13 percent said they felt $250 made up for the crying, while only 3.5 percent said that same amount made up for being bumped.

Industry Trade Group Airlines for America is predicting the 2017 holiday season will be the busiest in recent years, with almost 30 million people expected to fly, a three percent increase from last year.

With all those travelers, there's a chance someone will get bumped. To help consumers avoid the inconvenience, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Policygenius CEO and frequent flier, offers these tips.

Check in early. Every airline chooses its bump-ees differently, but quite a few at least consider who was last to the races, so check-in as early as possible for your flight.
Research airline departure performance. Take a look at your local airports' track records. If the closer airport has a poor track record, you may want to sacrifice convenience for timely flights.
Sign up for a carrier's frequent flyer program. It's less of a failsafe than flying first-class, but elite status with an airline can keep you on the plane.

You can go here for more survey results and additional tips on avoiding a flight bump this holiday season.

Policygenius commissioned Google Consumer Surveys to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,500 adults ages 18 and older online from July 13 to July 15, 2017. The survey's margin of error is between 3 percent and 5 percent.

About Policygenius: Policygenius is an independent online insurance marketplace helping people get the coverage they need — and feel good about it. We want people to feel informed about what they're shopping for, so we get rid of all the jargon and actually make personal finance fun. And when it's time to shop for and buy coverage for any aspect of life — from health and life insurance to pet and renters insurance — consumers feel ready.

For more information:
Brooke NiemeyerPartnerships Manager
brooke.niemeyer@policygenius.com

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SOURCE Policygenius