Downgraded to coach when boarding
Apr 18, 2024, 3:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: Delta Platinum
Posts: 16
Downgraded to coach when boarding
Help? What will AA compensation be? Was boarding plane CDG to DFW just now took my seat away to give to a pilot. Now sitting in regular coach. Who has experienced this and what can I expect AA will give me? SO upset 😭. This was a paid ticket not miles.
Apr 18, 2024, 3:07 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: ORD/LHR
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Posts: 1,307
- In the event of downgrading, the carrier must reimburse the passenger within seven days as follows: (i) 30% of the ticket price for flights of 1 500 km or less, (ii) 50% for flights of between 1 500 and 3 500 km and intra-EU flights of more than 1 500 km, and (iii) 75% for flights of over 3 500 km.
Apr 18, 2024, 3:35 am
#3
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Location: Brighton. UK
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Makes no difference if this was miles or cash - you are entitled to reimbursement of 75% of the fare paid for the downgraded leg (exclusing proper government taxes and airport fees)
Note that the EU261 regulation referrs to 'reimbursement' not 'compensation' so you need to ask AA for that.
Note that the EU261 regulation referrs to 'reimbursement' not 'compensation' so you need to ask AA for that.
Apr 18, 2024, 4:09 am
#4
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75% refund of the fare for the downgraded segment (not 75% off the fare for the whole ticket)
Luckily, this is a day-time flight Westbound/to the US so most likely the OP will survive.
Luckily, this is a day-time flight Westbound/to the US so most likely the OP will survive.
Apr 18, 2024, 11:54 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AA EXP; SQ Gold
Posts: 186
Apr 18, 2024, 11:57 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AA EXP; SQ Gold
Posts: 186
Quick question regarding downgrades of this sort on long-haul flights ...
Let's suppose the compensation for the downgrade (75% of fare, perhaps $1000 or more) isn't worth it to me, and I just don't want to fly in economy for that long. Can one ask the agent to be rebooked on a future flight in business? I'm assuming yes, but not sure about the rules here. If one were to say, refuse to fly in economy and demand to be rebooked on a future flight (suppose one has a health condition or something and cannot sit in an economy seat for such an extended period), how would the agent respond?
Curious if anyone has experienced this.
Let's suppose the compensation for the downgrade (75% of fare, perhaps $1000 or more) isn't worth it to me, and I just don't want to fly in economy for that long. Can one ask the agent to be rebooked on a future flight in business? I'm assuming yes, but not sure about the rules here. If one were to say, refuse to fly in economy and demand to be rebooked on a future flight (suppose one has a health condition or something and cannot sit in an economy seat for such an extended period), how would the agent respond?
Curious if anyone has experienced this.
Apr 18, 2024, 12:01 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AA EXP; SQ Gold
Posts: 186
Apr 18, 2024, 1:20 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 805
It might well have been done by ops with the gate agent not being aware, pilot might have been on duty and the pilot rest seat might have had an issue, if it was an overbook I would think they would look for volunteers prior to a downgrade. The op might have been picked for the simple reason they had the seat that was needed as a pilot rest. In any event I would start by seeing what they offer knowing what your legal entitlement is and I would not have taken the downgrade
Apr 18, 2024, 1:24 pm
#12
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Have we heard back from the OP? His saying that he was downgraded to “regular coach” leads me to wonder if this was a downgrade from J or PE and, if PE, whether the OP paid for PE.
Apr 18, 2024, 1:27 pm
#13
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That's why I asked what class he was downgraded from? Under EC261 the downgrade compensation (75% of the fare of the leg) is still the same, but it would be interesting to know if this was a one or two class downgrade.
Apr 18, 2024, 1:28 pm
#14
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Apr 18, 2024, 1:45 pm
#15
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If giving the OP a seat in PE would have required downgrading another passenger from PE to regular coach, AA would owe two people the EC261 downgrade refund for the segment: 75% of the OP's business class fare and 75% of the (former) PE passenger's fare. So the airline has an incentive to just downgrade one person the whole way rather than doing two downgrades of one cabin class.