What am I owed if American bumps me from an oversold flight?

If you are involuntarily denied boarding on an oversold American flight, American owes you nothing at all if it gets you to your destination within one hour of your original arrival time — that is the rule's own cutoff, not an airline courtesy. Past that hour, the amount is fixed by federal regulation, not American: 200% of your one-way fare, capped at $1,075, for a domestic arrival 1–2 hours late, rising to 400% of your fare, capped at $2,150, for anything later than 2 hours. On an international itinerary departing the US the same 200%/400% split applies, but the clock runs to 4 hours, not 2. These caps took effect 22 January 2025 and the DOT revisits them for inflation every two years, so check the current figures before quoting them.

The form of payment matters as much as the amount. You are entitled to receive it in cash or by check, not locked into an American travel voucher — the airline can offer one, but it cannot substitute it without your agreement.

None of this applies if you volunteered your seat for a travel voucher at the gate — that is a negotiated deal you accepted, and the regulated figure only kicks in for involuntary bumping. Four other situations void it under 14 CFR 250.6: you did not meet American's ticketing, reconfirmation or check-in deadlines; the flight was downsized to a smaller aircraft for operational or safety reasons, or to one with 60 or fewer seats for a weight/balance restriction; you were reseated in a different cabin at no extra charge; or American actually got you to your next stopover or final destination within that same one-hour window on other transportation. If none of those apply and you were bumped against your will, ask for the written statement of denied boarding rights American is required to hand you, and note your original and actual arrival times precisely, since the payment amount is calculated directly from that gap.