Bumped from a United flight? You may be owed up to $2,150 — in cash.
United oversells flights like every US major, and federal law prices an involuntary bump precisely: 200% or 400% of your one-way fare depending on how late the replacement flight gets you in, capped at $1,075 / $2,150.
The amounts (involuntary bumping)
| Arrival delay on the replacement flight | Domestic US | International, departing the US |
|---|---|---|
| Within 1 hour | $0 | $0 |
| 1 – 2 hours (domestic) / 1 – 4 hours (international) | 200% of one-way fare, max $1,075 | 200% of one-way fare, max $1,075 |
| Over 2 hours (domestic) / over 4 hours (international) | 400% of one-way fare, max $2,150 | 400% of one-way fare, max $2,150 |
US DOT rules (14 CFR Part 250), amounts current since the January 2025 adjustment, based on your one-way fare to the destination. United must pay at the airport, the same day, in cash or by cheque if you ask — you never have to accept vouchers instead.
Volunteers first — know the trap
United must ask for volunteers before bumping anyone against their will. If you volunteer, these statutory amounts vanish and your compensation is whatever you negotiated. So negotiate before you surrender the seat: a confirmed seat on the next flight, meals, a hotel if it's overnight, and the amount — and get it in writing at the gate.
Delays and cancellations on United
No US law pays cash compensation for delays or cancellations — that's the honest headline. What you do have: if United cancels or significantly changes your flight (3+ hours domestic, 6+ international) and you decline the rebooking, DOT's 2024 rule requires an automatic refund to your original payment method. For controllable delays, United has public commitments on the DOT dashboard covering meals, rebooking and — for overnight waits — hotels and ground transport. Hold them to the published commitment, not the gate agent's summary of it.
How to claim from United
- Bumped involuntarily? Ask at the gate for the written denied-boarding statement and same-day payment before you leave the airport.
- Keep your boarding pass, the rebooking, and your actual arrival time — the arrival delay band sets the amount.
- If the airport doesn't resolve it, file in writing via united.com's customer care form and cite 14 CFR Part 250 and the applicable band.
- Still short? File a DOT complaint — airlines must respond, and the complaint becomes part of the public record.
United specifics worth knowing
United's oversales are frequent on hub banks (Denver, Chicago O'Hare, Newark, Houston). Its volunteer offers at the gate can climb well past the statutory floor on busy days — which cuts both ways: if volunteers are being bid up, holding out is leverage; if you're bumped involuntarily anyway, the 200%/400% table is your floor, paid in money, not MileagePlus credit, unless you choose otherwise.
Run your flight — free, 30 seconds
The checker tests EU261, UK261, Canada APPR and US DOT at once and tells you the amount, the deadline and where to file. If you're owed, the Ready-to-Send Claim writes the letter for you — free for the founding cohort, and you keep 100% of the payout.
Check my flight →Information only, not legal advice. Amounts are the statutory figures; the disruption's cause decides real cases. Delay Wages is not affiliated with any airline or regulator.