What to Do If Your Flight Is Downgraded
Last week, we discussed the ins and outs of buying a second seat on a flight just because you feel like it, damn it. This week, with airlines pushing you to spend your money in other ways, former NBA Golden State Warriors player Festus Ezeli tweeted about his experience on a recent Alaska Airlines flight, where the airline clearly overstated its promise of an increased ticket.
According to Ezeli, he decided to upgrade to a first class ticket because of the extra legroom, only to find that there were no first class seats on his flight, leaving Ezeli, six feet eleven inches tall, in the coach’s chair (and locking the seat in front of him closely ).
As you may have guessed, there is a high probability that a serious misunderstanding has arisen between the airline and this passenger. Not knowing which particular plane he flew (but judging by the photos of the seating positions), Ezeli probably flew in a tiny Q400 turboprop. (This is how the seat map looks on SeatGuru .)
Unfortunately for him, the Q400 is the only aircraft without business or first class seats in Alaska Airline’s entire fleet. The most likely explanation is that the flight attendant was either not aware of the aircraft and mistakenly suggested an upgrade, or perhaps suggested Ezeli a seat closer to the front of the aircraft as a “better” seat offer. (However, this is not a “premium” or “first class” seat, and the legroom is the same in every row of this particular aircraft.)
But this raises a good question: given that unintentional collisions do occur from time to time, is it possible to switch from first class to economy class (also known as downgraded class) despite having paid for a seat? It turns out, yes, it is possible and can happen to you.
Why you might get demoted
On the Flyer Talk forums, one traveler wrote about his experience of being departed from first class on two different Alaska Airlines flights; in both cases, the airline attributed the hit to a “mistake.” “At the gate I was called at the last minute and told that I was returned to the coach, and“ we wish we had noticed the mistake earlier, ” writes gdam22 . “I suspect Alaska is just deliberately reselling to someone who will pay more than me later.”
Unfortunately, a downgrade from First Class can occur for any number of reasons and is ultimately at the discretion of the airline. (As Ben Schlappig writes for the One Mile at a Time travel website, your assigned seat is never a guarantee, no matter how much you spend.) More First or Business Class seats – one with less space; the airline must now downgrade some of its passengers, assuming the first class and business sections were fully occupied to begin with.
What are you entitled to
According to the Department of Transportation website, if your rating is ultimately downgraded, you are eligible for a refund. Your rights to reimbursement may also be spelled out in your airline’s contract of carriage; under a contract with American Airline , for example, if you were transferred to a different class of service, they will “refund the unused portion according to the original form of payment.” (Under United’s contract, you are also “eligible” for a refund. Alaska , meanwhile, does not contain any downgrade language.)
But here’s the (grim) truth: even though you’re eligible for a refund, that doesn’t mean it’s fair. While you can expect to be reimbursed for the cost of the upgrade you purchased minus the cost of the seat you selected, it is a little more complicated. In an article for Travelers United, Christopher Elliot of Elliot Advocacy detailed the problem. Airlines increase the price of the seat you get by calculating the fare based on how much you would pay if you bought the seat that day – which would probably be very, very expensive and means you may not get anything if that seat is now more expensive than your original upgrade. (Funny, is not it?)
However, it is worth trying to get your money back. You should look in your airline’s contract of carriage for any language that is relevant to the downgrade and notify the airline by email or telephone. “I would recommend that you see if you can figure out the difference in the cost of flights between bus and business class on the day of booking, and claim that difference as a refund,” recommended u / zurkritikdergewalt in a recent conversation on Reddit. “Upgrade your service and document it. If they don’t refund your money, refund the credit card you booked it with, citing failure to provide the service, with proof that you tried to contact them. ”
In other words, never mistake no for an answer. And if for any reason you need to change your flight at the last minute, here’s what you can expect to pay .