Oversold flights

[MTGomer]

This is as Hunting related as ginger ale, but does anybody know how a flight gets oversold? In my simple mind, a flight would not get oversold if the number of seats assigned to people was equal to or less than the number of seats on the plane.

What is the complication with this?

 

[Letthemgrow]

Every airline does it.
They oversell to try to account for last minute cancelations and flight changes by people.
They try to fill every seat on every flight.
If they get it wrong occasionally, they throw some peanuts to the bumped passengers in the form of vouchers, which you can only use for travel on their airline.

 

[cgasner1]

They started offering 500 this year for 4 spots leaving anchorage to bethels it ended at 1500 and a compt hotel room. I was really hoping for that offer when we came out since we never left the airport and I’d have rather hit a hotel. I’m sure they have a x amount of people will cancel not show up variable that is money ahead even when they miss