We are in the height of the holiday season and many people are flying abroad this year.

It is important to be aware that air passengers have specific consumer rights under European law. You have a right to get assistance from your air carrier and you may be entitled to compensation in certain situations.
These situations are:
You are denied boarding against your will
Your flight is cancelled
Your flight is delayed
You are downgraded
Who does the law apply to?
The law applies to all passengers departing from an EU/EEA airport. It also applies to passengers departing from an airport outside of the EU/EEA but arriving at an EU/EEA airport on an EU/EEA licensed carrier (unless they have already received compensation or assistance in that non-EU/EEA country).

Who does the law not apply to?
The law does not apply if you are travelling free of charge or at a fare that is reduced and is not available directly or indirectly to the public. Tickets purchased under frequent flyer programmes or similar commercial programmes are not considered reduced fare tickets. The law also does not apply if you do not have a confirmed reservation, relevant document (visa etc), you do not arrive at the boarding gate at good time or if you pose safety or security concerns.

What happens if I am denied boarding as the flight was overbooked?
Denied boarding happens when airlines sell more tickets for a scheduled flight than there are seats on the aircraft.

Where a flight is overbooked the airline will first call for volunteers to surrender their confirmed reservations to the airline in exchange for agreed benefits. The volunteers are also entitled to a choice of:
Refund of the cost of their ticket within 7 days if not wishing to travel or
Re-routing to their final destination at the earliest opportunity or
Re-routing at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seats
If there are not enough volunteers, the airline may deny boarding to passengers against their will but must compensate them and offer the appropriate assistance set out in the law. You must also be offered a choice of:
Refund of the cost of your ticket within 7 days if not wishing to travel or
Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or
Re-routing at a later date at your convenience, subject to availability of seats
A refund is a full refund of the ticket for the part or parts of the journey you have not made and for the part or parts you have already made, if the flight is no longer serving any purpose to your original travel plan. When relevant, it also includes a return flight to your first point of departure at the earliest opportunity.

If you choose a refund, compensation must also be paid. The amount you are entitled to depends on the distance of the flight that you have not been allowed to board. If you choose re-routing, the compensation that is paid depends on the length of delay past the original planned time in arriving at your final destination. If you choose to be re-routed as soon as possible then the air carrier must give you care and assistance whilst you are waiting on your alternative flight.