A New York Times article provides an interesting behind-the-scenes view of the balance airlines are trying to strike between maximizing revenue through overbooking, and raising the ire of customers and their front-line employees when passengers get bumped from oversold flights. Interviewing a number of people at US Airways, the article reveals the tensions between the back-office analysts trying to wring the last penny out of every flight and the gate agents who bear the brunt of passenger fury when the desk jockeys get the math wrong. One of the more revealing insights was the lack of repercussions (other than hosting a toy crow for a week) the analysts faced when they caused significant numbers of passengers to be bumped.

This is a timely article because, as much as I hate the “perfect storm” metaphor, I think this summer could be an ugly one for US air travelers.

• Airline seat occupancy is forecasted to be 85% this summer
• Airport delays are already high and are growing as air traffic exceeds pre-9/11 levels
• Airline profits are under pressure from high fuel costs
• Airlines are having difficulty hiring the ground and support staff (ramp workers, gate agents, customer service reps) needed to handle disruptions caused by weather or plane break-downs (see this TravelCommons posting for a further discussion)

All this portends more passengers being involuntarily bumped in the coming months. Knowing your rights when overbooked and setting your expectations before you travel is probably one of the best strategies for limiting inconvenience and high blood pressure. The ASTA – the American Society of Travel Agents – has a good primer on their web site. The write-up on the US Department of Transportation‘s site isn’t bad either. The best single piece of advice — if they can’t give you a seat assignment when you book the flight, look for another flight.