lodwick

I received a call from AS customer service today that "due to an equipment change" for our december SEA->FLL flight that they are now oversold in FC and need to change tickets.

Here is the situation:
-customer service confirmed that this is due to the reconfiguration of FC going from 16->12 seats (738)
- I purchased 4 full fare refundable FC seats back in April for December flight just before Holidays; they were nearly $1k/pax (just for that leg)
- Alaska indicated twice that I was the last person to to book, therefore if no one volunteers to give up their FC seats, we will be downgraded to coach involuntarily
- Alaska offered to refund the ticket price between our FC fare and the lowest published coach price for the SEA-FLL segment ($700/ticket).
- In addition, they offered $300/ticket voucher for future flight

Normally I would seriously consider a voluntary downgrade. Given that it's a Holiday, were getting on a cruise, and our friends are also in the FC cabin (another 4 pax) - it irks me that Alaska would reconfigure the plane just before the holidays.

Question for the forum:
- would you take what Alaska offered?
- if I decline the offer and they involuntarily downgrade our group, is there any additional compensation required (like what occurs on an involuntary bump)?

spamman808

Sucks that the equipment change happened when it did, but...like you said they did explain the situation to you from the outset. Seems like the compensation they're throwing at you is pretty decent, and I'm not sure if you'll do any better. I know it sucks, but if it was me I'd take the deal. Then again, I don't pay for first, so economy isn't the end of the world for me.

jsguyrus

Well that is too bad that happened. I think I would take the deal and also ask them to throw in some Boardrooms passes since you would have had access if you were in paid FC.

rustykettel

Questions I would have-- is the $700 refund going back to the original form of payment or MyWallet funds? Is the $300 voucher a certificate good for all classes or a discount code valid for economy only purchases and not stackable?

eponymous_coward

Someone is always going to lose on these things. It's you. I wouldn't take it personally.

This is what AS offers for IDB:

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/ab...d-flights.aspx

Note the "Rebooked to arrive at your destination within 1 hr: No compensation". But in some cases you might come out ahead (if the delay in getting to your destination is long enough). Especially noted is that the compensation is entirely in cash (they cut you a check on the spot).

You do also have the right to hold out for F (original cabin booked) instead of traveling in Y (which would probably be what AS would do, refund your F->Y fare difference and try and get you there in an hour, maybe more).

Of course, holding out for 4 F seats doesn't help you if you're going on a cruise and they can't get you there in 4 F seats in time for your cruise, does it? It would be a rather high-stakes game of poker (and no, AS isn't liable for you missing your cruise if you decide to play chicken for IDB and stick to your guns for flying in F; that's consequential damages). They might not even be able to find 4 Y seats all together if you wait and do this at the time the flight is boarding.

All told, I'd probably accept the downgrade and offered compensation, given that trying to rebook at the very last minute for IDB could be chancy when it involves a cruise.

Kufat

I'm surprised they can't borrow a 739 from another route for that SEA>FLL>SEA RT, given this much notice and an (apparently) absolutely full F cabin.

SamuelS

Have you checked F fares for your dates on other carriers?

If there is a comparable fare, why not take the $300 compensation from AS and then take a full refund to buy your ticket on another carrier. If it's on DL or AA, you'll still earn AS points (ironically, more than you'd receive from flying in F on AS in most cases).

Granted this won't get you on the same flight as your friends, but if flying in F is more important, this would seem to be the way to go.

If you remain on AS, can you at least get them to assign you PreferredPlus seats (at least you'd have more legroom, priority boarding, and a free cocktail).

tusphotog

Here's what concerns me: the fleet won't be completely renovated by then, so there's still a chance a 12F a/c could be swapped with a 16F plane and vv. I'd want to know what they will do in the event of a swap from 12F to 16F. If you go to coach now, is there any chance you'll go back to F?

I'd tell them you want row 6 or the second exit row for free plus the BR passes someone else mentioned (if that's your thing). Sounds like everything else they're giving is pretty fair.

PV_Premier

DL is now flying SEA-FLL nonstop as well. I would definitely check the F fare on DL one way, if it is operating on your date.

The schedule sucks (redeye and not daily) but you can probably get 4 DL F tickets for the price of 2 on AS, get a full refund of your AS tickets, and possibly still get the vouchers or some other AS compensation (miles?). You can credit the miles to AS and probably earn at a similar rate to the AS F fare.

xliioper

DOT rules do not breakdown seats by cabin. An oversold cabin is not the same thing as an oversold flight. If you are downgraded to a lower cabin of service and refuse to board in order to wait for a later flight, it would not be considered involuntary denied boarding for DOT compensation purposes.

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...ngrade-rights/


"Alaska does not guarantee allocation of any particular space in the aircraft. Seat assignments, regardless
of class of service, are not guaranteed and are subject to change without notice. Alaska reserves the right
to reseat a Passenger for any reason, including from a seat for which an additional fee has been paid,
and if a Passenger is improperly or erroneously upgraded to a different class of service. If a Passenger is
removed from a seat for which a fee has been paid, and the Passenger is not re-accommodated in the
same class of seat or a seat of equal or greater value, or if a Passenger is downgraded from a class of
service and is not re-accommodated in a seat of an equal or greater class of service for which a fee has
been paid, the Passenger may be eligible for a refund in accordance with Rule 16. "


Delta is a bit more specific in their CoC rules --

1) Conditions For Payment of Involuntary Denied Boarding Compensation
The passenger shall not be entitled to any compensation for involuntary denied boarding if:

c) Carriage in Alternative Cabin
Delta offers to accommodate the passenger in a section of the aircraft other than that
specified on his/her ticket at no extra charge; provided however that if a passenger is
seated in a section for which a lower fare applies, the passenger will be entitled to a
refund of the difference in fare.

eponymous_coward

Where's that quote from? It isn't part of your link.

If it's the CoC... then my advice to the OP stands (since it makes even less sense to "play chicken" with trying to get IDB'ed- you could end up with the difference between what you paid and cash).

channa

Your options also very likely include canceling and getting a refund.

I would look at what DL wants SEA-FLL or AA wants SEA-MIA and if it's reasonable and they have space, maybe ask AS to refund all 8 of your tickets and book on DL or AA.

While this situation sucks, you have to give AS credit for trying to get ahead of it. I had a similar situation on AA, where AA unseated me in Paid F a few weeks out, I offered to reroute (I was connecting), but they refused, and ended up downgrading me on the day of departure. In the end I was compensated, but it wasn't pretty and cost them dearly.

Often1

These things happen. I'm going to presume that the whole cabin is paid F if you've got 4F, your friends have 4 and that leaves only 2 others. If it's not you, some other flight segment has a problem.

That is about as long a domestic flight as there is, so F vs. Y will make a real difference. I would take the customer service gesture and look at any one of the connections via LAX, DFW or ORD, even into MIA on AS/AA. You will have travel credits of $1,200 and can then spend a bit on an Uber SUV up to the cruise in FLL. Maybe even an extra day in MIA/FLL.

If you take the deal offered and suffer in steerage, the cash refund component will be to the original form of payment.

flytoeat

Joined 2006. First post 10 years later. Must be a record.

beckoa

There are quite a few other lurkers out there...

Welcome to the posting side of Flyertalk lodwick ^

Please keep us posted on how this pans out. Doubt you'll be the first on FT with this issue during the transition.