Since a confirmed reservation with an airline doesn't necessarily guarantee you a seat, what are you entitled to if you don't want a free flight with a bump ticket?

• You always get to keep your original ticket and use it on another flight. If you choose to make your own arrangements, you can request an "involuntary refund" for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from. The denied boarding compensation is essentially a payment for your inconvenience.
• The airline is usually obligated under its conditions of contract (or carriage) to try to put you on the next available flight arriving at your destination at no cost to you.
• If they find another flight arriving at your destination within one hour of your original flight, you are not entitled to compensation.
• If the substitute flight arrives between one and two hours later, the airline must pay you the fare of your oversold flight (up to $200 maximum). If the flight they replace you on arrives more than two hours after your original flight, or if there is no other suitable flight, the airline must pay you twice your fare up to $400 maximum.

The law requires you to be paid on the spot (unless you are running to catch an alternative flight that is leaving right away. In that case, the airline must pay you within 24 hours). The airline may offer you a free bump ticket or a travel voucher, neither of which you need to accept in lieu of cash.

In addition, bumped passengers can now turn down the free tickets or refunds they are offered and sue the airline for damages. The amounts given above are the minimum required by Federal law for airlines to pay. The ruling stems from a suit filed by a Montana lawyer against Northwest Airlines. Essentially, he argued against the airline's right to sell passengers restricted tickets that cannot be exchanged or refunded, then turn around and bump those passengers because they overbooked a flight.

However, unhappy bumped passengers should bear in mind that there is no guarantee of recovery, and a lawsuit can drag on for a long time.

Here is a current list of what airlines offer when getting bumped:

• America West Airlines: Free domestic roundtrip; transferable
• American Airlines: Discount of $100 or more for domestic or international travel; Non-transferable
• Continental Airlines: Discount of $200 or more or free domestic round trip; Free tickets can be used in anyone’s name, but you must choose when you the certificate; vouchers are transferable.
• Delta Airlines: Free domestic or Caribbean round trip; transferable to family members if you are present when the new tickets is used.
• Northwest Airlines : Discount of up to $300 for domestic or international travel; transferable.
• Southwest Airlines: A voucher equal to the value of your ticket, up to $200 for delays of 1-2 hours; double value up to $400 for delays over 2 hours.. Can be issued in anyone’s name and that person may reassign the value to another person at a later date.
• TWA: Free domestic or Puerto Rico Round trip; Non-transferable.
• United Airlines: Discount of $100 or more; Non-transferable.
• US Airways: Free domestic or select Caribbean roundtrip; Non-transferable.