What are your chances of getting ‘bumped’ by airlines?

A newly-released study explored the airlines most likely to bump passengers from flights: a process the industry calls involuntary denied boarding (IDB), or airline bumps. Using solid industry data from 2018, and in light of the effects of the Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft grounding controversy, the final results of the study were a bit surprising.

The U.S. airlines most likely to bump you, based on involuntary denied boardings per 100,000 passengers are:

1. Frontier Airlines – 6.28 “bumps” per 100,000 passengers

2. Spirit Airlines – 5.57 “bumps” per 100,000 passengers

3. Alaska Airlines – 2.30 “bumps” per 100,000 passengers

4. PSA Airlines – 2.29 “bumps” per 100,000 passengers

5. American Airlines – 1.95 “bumps” per 100,000 passengers

Airline bumps are a common concern feared by many passengers, so the travel experts thought it would be a good idea to look at just how often it actually happens, and which of the airlines were the biggest culprits. Airline bumps are just a part of the reality of air travel and airline passengers all accept that risk whenever they buy their tickets. But the study found that there are statistically higher chances of bumps with certain airlines over others. And that’s good information for travelers to have before they purchase their tickets this holiday season.