What does overbooking mean?
Overbooking is the practice of accepting more reservations, bookings, or ticket sales than an organization can accommodate. Airlines are the best-known example: they may sell more tickets than there are seats, expecting that some passengers will not travel. This strategy can make flights more profitable and reduce empty seats, but it can also leave passengers without a seat, force them onto a later flight, or require compensation. Outside aviation, the term describes similar overbooking by hotels, restaurants, event organizers, and other services. The word generally has a cautionary connotation, since excess reservations create inconvenience or financial obligations when more customers arrive than anticipated. It is distinct from ordinary double-booking, which usually means accidentally or deliberately assigning the same time or place to two customers rather than systematically exceeding capacity.
nounThe practice of accepting reservations, bookings, or sales for more people than the available capacity can accommodate. It is especially associated with airlines selling more tickets than they have seats.
- The act of making more reservations, bookings, or sales than an organization can accommodate.
- The practice of selling more tickets for a journey than the number of seats available.
"The airline faced criticism after overbooking left several passengers without seats."
"The airline uses overbooking to compensate for passengers who do not show up."
"Overbooking a popular restaurant without a reliable waitlist led to complaints."
The plural is uncommon because the word is normally used in the singular for the general practice; it can be used when referring to separate instances.
"Repeated overbookings led the regulator to review the airline's ticketing policies."
An overbooked flight may seem full, yet still leave passengers stranded when too many travelers actually turn up.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of overbooking
Overbooking combines the prefix over-, meaning beyond or in excess, with booking, the act of reserving a place or arranging an appointment. Booking derives from the verb book, which has long referred to recording or arranging a reservation. The compound therefore describes making reservations beyond the available capacity.
Related word forms
How overbooking is actually used
Most common in airline and travel contexts, but it can apply to any service or venue with limited capacity. It often carries a mildly critical or cautionary tone because overbooking can result in denied service, additional costs, or compensation.