MCE Purchased Seat Reassigned to Non-Existent Wheelchair Passenger
 

AA 1468 LBB-DFW today. Spent $18 to buy 8D (bulkhead seat with unlimited legroom). During G1 boarding gate agent hands me a new BP. "Sorry, we had to assign your seat to a wheelchair passenger." Very surprised to see a healthy 30-something male sitting in 8D and the wheelchair passenger in 9D. 30-something tells me he was moved up to 8D from row 13 as he boarded.

How do I get my $18 back? I have sent several Tweets to @AmericanAir but they are being ignored.

Where did you wind up sitting? Were you in another MCE seat or were you bumped to regular coach.

According to this: http://www.aa.com/i18n/fragments/mer...ExtraTerms.jsp

Seems to indicate that you are entitled to a refund in both cases.

The page also indicates that a refund can be requested by visiting www.aa.com/refund.

The big question: where did they move you? If it was from 1 MCE seat to another MCE seat, then I don't think you'll get a refund. Nonetheless, you should contact them using the aa.com/contact function, not twitter.

OP should still contact AA to complain that he/she wasn't moved for the handicapped passenger as claimed.

Why on earth would they put a Wheelchair pax in 9D? Not doubting OP story, but that seems like an odd choice by GA/FA when 8D was available.

OP should contact AA for sure. Seems like a lot of seat shenanigans showing up recently.

I am watching the @AA Twitter feed and there seem to be a lot of problems solved there, just not mine. I will try aa.com/contact

Please answer the question of where you were re-assigned.

Just b/c a wheelchair pax didn't end up in 8D, doesn't mean that wasn't the issue the triggered the re-assignment.

So they moved the OP from 8 somewhere else, moved the guy from 13 into row 8 and moved the guy from 9 into some other seat to place the wheelchair pax in row 9?

Not sure what change would reasonably result in a pax being moved when their seat is not needed for the wheelchair pax.

I was moved to 8A. Yes, it is a MCE seat, but I would not be willing to pay $18 for it. I chose 8D because it has unlimited leg room, probably the best economy seat on the plane. No other MCE seat is equivalent. It is the only MCE seat worth paying $18 for on the 80.

Unfortunately, this is where the "seat assignments are not guaranteed" part comes in. From AA's perspective, you got an equivalent MCE seat. They won't agree with you that only 8D is worth paying for (although I personally do understand that feeling). You won't get anything back.

I have submitted a refund request at [email protected]. My "extenuating circumstances" are "Main Cabin Extra Product not received."

Will advise. Thanks for your help.

The OP isn't entitled to any refund. Paid for MCE, got an MCE seat. Just not the one they wanted.

The OP's position boils down to this: "If I cannot have infinite legroom (8D), then I don't want any legroom at all (unwilling to pay for any other MCE seat) and would rather sit in a non-MCE seat." My long legs would preclude me from taking such a stand.

Then the GA should have moved OP back into the original seat, not pick some random person for the seat.

Good luck. I'm still waiting for a refund on a $75 upgrade co-pay on a canceled flight where I was redirected to a carrier with only economy.