Unfortunately, even the DOT disagrees with your opinion. There is a reason why most carrier's rules mirror almost word for word, the DoT's rules, and that is to remain in compliance with the regulatory bodies.


From the DoT's website http://airconsumer.dot.gov/publicati...tm#overbooking :

"Like all rules, however, there are a few conditions and exceptions:

* To be eligible for compensation, you must have a confirmed reservation. A written confirmation issued by the airline or an authorized agent or reservation service qualifies you in this regard even if the airline can't find your reservation in the computer, as long as you didn't cancel your reservation or miss a reconfirmation deadline."

Bolding added by me to illustrate the appropriate point. A boarding pass is not a reservation. I fly NRSA all the time and get many boarding passes, yet unless I buy a ticket, I don't have a confirmed reservation. I am what we call "standby" which implies "unconfirmed" and is an exception as noted here.