When United bumped this flier, he fought back

Federal rules force airlines to generously compensate passengers they bump from flights, yet gate agents don’t always follow the requirements. In August, the DoT fined Alaska, American, Southwest and United airlines for misleading travellers after bumping them. Travellers are fighting back, too. One stubborn passenger decided to take United to court in Memphis, Tenn. And he got a lot of help online from other road warriors. The result: An initial offer of $373 in compensation turned into a trial in small claims court, a judgment against United for more than $1,300 and a settlement around $2,000 after a year of effort. The unusual battle demonstrates how some airlines resist compensating customers for service failures, from denying seats to losing bags to changing schedules. Even getting a refund from an airline can be so tough that Congress passed a law earlier this year forcing airlines to reimburse baggage fees when they lose luggage. But sometimes carriers dig in. United says it evaluates legal issues on a case-by-case basis. Increased penalties for bumping passengers have reduced involuntary denied boarding. The rate of bumped passengers declined in 2015, and it’s run lower so far this year. Still, almost 47,000 passengers were involuntarily denied boarding flight in 2015. Online communities like FlyerTalk and InsideFlyer can offer consumers important information about arcane airline rules. Story looks at the Memphis case in detail.<br/>