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

Involuntary denied boarding is the best-protected situation in US air travel, and the amount is set by regulation rather than by the airline — but United owes you nothing at all if it gets you to your destination within one hour of your original arrival time, which is the rule's own cutoff, not an airline courtesy. Past that hour: 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.

That payment is on top of your ticket: you still keep the flight you are rebooked onto, or a refund if you choose not to travel. And you are entitled to receive it in cash or by check. Airlines routinely offer a travel voucher instead, and you do not have to take one.

The distinction that decides most cases is voluntary versus involuntary: if you accepted a voucher at the gate in exchange for giving up your seat, that was a negotiated deal and these rules do not apply. Four other situations also void it under 14 CFR 250.6: you did not meet United'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 United 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 involuntarily, ask for the written statement of your denied boarding rights, which the airline is required to give you, and note your original and actual arrival times, because the size of the payment turns entirely on that gap.