Hi everyone, first time posting and looking for some advice.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were involuntarily denied boarding on a flight from New Zealand to Los Angeles. At the airport, we were told the flight was overbooked and there were no seats available for us. We were asked to return after 90 minutes, and then informed we’d be rebooked on a different route via Houston, with what was described as a short delay.
In reality, we arrived in Los Angeles more than 7 hours later than planned. The whole process was stressful, we weren’t given clear details about our new flights, connection times, or seating. Since we only had a short two-night stay before heading back to Ireland, we ended up losing a significant portion of our trip.
Financially, we didn’t lose money, but losing that much time was frustrating. I also didn’t realize airlines could bump passengers like this.
Air New Zealand has offered NZD 500 (about €250) per person as a goodwill gesture. However, I’ve read about US Department of Transportation rules that mention compensation of up to 400% of the ticket price (capped at $1,550). Since the flight was heading to the US, would those rules apply here?
On a positive note, both New Zealand and Los Angeles were amazing destinations—I’d highly recommend visiting.
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