Home > Services & information > Our United Customer Commitment > 8. Treat passengers fairly and consistently in the case of oversales
8. Treat passengers fairly and consistently in the case of oversales

Occasionally we may not be able to provide you with a seat on a specific flight, even if you hold a ticket and have checked in on time and comply with other requirements. This is called an oversale, and occurs when restrictions apply to operating a particular flight safely (such as aircraft weight limits); when we have to substitute a smaller aircraft in place of a larger aircraft that was originally scheduled; or if more customers have checked in and are prepared to board than we have available seats.

If your flight is in an oversale situation, you will not be denied a seat until we first ask for volunteers willing to give up their confirmed seats. If there are not enough volunteers, we will deny boarding to passengers in accordance with our written policy on boarding priority. If you are involuntarily denied boarding and have complied with our check-in and other applicable rules, we will give you a written statement that describes your rights and explains how we determine boarding priority for an oversold flight. You will generally be entitled to compensation and transportation on an alternate flight.

We make complete rules for the payment of compensation, as well as our policy about boarding priorities, available at airports we serve. We will follow these rules to ensure you are treated fairly. Please be aware that you may be denied boarding without compensation if you do not check in on-time or do not meet certain other requirements, or if we offer you alternative transportation that is planned to arrive at your destination or first stop-over not later than one hour after the planned arrival time of your original flight.

Customer Commitment Side Navigation
Our United Customer Commitment
1. Advise about lowest available fares
2. Notify customers of known delays, cancellations and diversions
3. Deliver baggage on time
4. Allow reservations to be cancelled for a certain period after purchase
5. Provide prompt ticket refunds
6. Properly accommodate passengers with disabilities and other special needs
7. Meet customers' essential needs during lengthy tarmac delays
8. Treat passengers fairly and consistently in the case of oversales
9. Disclose cancellation policies, frequent flyer rules, aircraft seating configuration and lavatory availability
10. Notify customers about travel itinerary changes in a timely manner
11. Ensure responsiveness to customer complaints
12. Provide services to mitigate inconveniences resulting from cancellations and misconnections.