Q. What rights do passengers have when they are bumped off an overbooked flight?

Marco Salas, Miami Beach

A. Overbooking is not illegal, and most airlines overbook their scheduled flights to a certain extent in order to compensate for ``no-shows.''

If you are bumped against your will, you are, with a few exceptions, entitled to the following compensation:

• The airline may arrange substitute transportation scheduled to get you to your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your originally scheduled arrival. For this, there is no compensation.

• The airline may arrange substitute transportation scheduled to arrive at your destination between one and two hours after your original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights). In this case, the airline must pay you an amount equal to your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $400 maximum.

• If the substitute transportation is scheduled to get you to your destination more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (200 percent of your fare, $800 maximum).

• You always have the option of keeping your original ticket and using it on another flight. If you choose to make your own arrangements, you can request an ''involuntary refund'' for being bumped. The compensation is essentially a payment for your inconvenience.

Learn more at airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publications/flyrights.htm.

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