Bumped off a flight? You can get compensated.

Think getting bumped from your flight is just one more annoyance of modern travel that you can't do anything about? You're wrong. The Department of Travel (DOT) says you do have a right to compensation.

We received a late call last night from our daughter, who was in route to the Big Island of Hawaii. Unfortunately, she was stuck in Honolulu because she was 'bumped' off her Mesa Airlines flight and it was the last one for the night. While they offered to put her up in a local hotel, they could not guarantee that she could get on a flight in the morning. Understandably upset, she was told that an earlier flight in the day had been canceled and she was being bumped so these passengers could get on the flight.

She returned to the airport this morning and was told that the earliest she could get out was late afternoon because all the flights were full with booked passengers. She reminded them that she also was a "booked passenger," and suggested that they bump someone so she could get on the flight and still make the wedding she was scheduled to attend. The clerk said, "We can't bump a confirmed passenger." "Well, you bumped me," she replied, "so I know you can do it." The clerk put her on standby with 20 other people.