Explain to me why airlines commonly overbook flights?

[gyroscope]

According to this WaPo article tickets are usually non-refundable. So the airline still makes its money on the no-shows whether they show up or not. So why the need to overbook?

Most airline tickets bought by regular air travelers are nonrefundable, and airlines claim that keeps the cost of tickets affordable. If you want a more flexible fare, you could pay more. But flexible tickets cost more — a lot more — double, triple, sometimes even quadruple the cost of a nonrefundable fare. Only a business traveler on an expense account would ever consider buying one, which is exactly who those tickets are intended for.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/can-i-get-a-refund-on-that-nonrefundable-airline-ticket/2015/08/06/2ac629b8-2ca1-11e5-a250-42bd812efc09_story.html?utm_term=.8c783972f3c9

[Justice]

1. you can usually get a credit if you do it before the flight

you might pay something but usually get most of it in a credit.

[pnwmom]

6. Most of it? Not in my experience. n/t

[athena]

2. Because they can?

Because we live in a country where "regulation" is considered a bad word? Because Americans are happier letting United decide how badly to treat them than having the government regulate what is acceptable treatment? Because this is the Corporate States of America where we all serve the CEOs of large companies, and where "morality" means maximizing the incomes of the wealthiest 0.01% among us?

[Warpy]

3. Mostly to make sure all the seats are filled

because some people miss their flights or miss connecting flights. Flying nearly empty airplanes at off peak times is unprofitable and mostly done to get the planes back to where they can be filled by paying customers.

There is no evidence this plane was overbooked, only that United wanted to bounce 4 passengers to make room for its own people. Likely they chose coach passengers who paid bargain prices by booking the flight far in advance.

I think when the corporate head office adds up the tab between lawsuits and loss of business because of this stunt, they will likely decide it's cheaper to fly their people on another airline than it is going through this sort of thing on a Sunday evening flight full of returning vacationers going to jobs on Monday morning, especially people who had already been seated.

[gyroscope]

4. I repeat

because some people miss their flights or miss connecting flights. Flying nearly empty airplanes at off peak times is unprofitable and mostly done to get the planes back to where they can be filled by paying customers.

...according to the article airline tickets are almost always NOT refundable, so the airline still makes all its money even if NONE of the passengers of a particular flight showed up.

[pnwmom]

7. Exactly. People are missing your point. They don't refund most tickets

and their change fees are often higher than just getting a new one-way ticket.

So they're not losing money when they eject low-ticket-price customers. (The ones they are most likely to eject.) Those seats are already paid for.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. To ensure an excellent, top-notch quality experience for the flying consumer.

No, that's bullshit. It's money, silly!

[Foamfollower]

8. Because overbooking is a time honored business practice under the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition?