LH downgrades F award ticket to C due to new first class cabin (A330)
Mar 17, 2011, 11:57 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 21
LH downgrades F award ticket to C due to new first class cabin (A330)
I have 2 F class award tickets booked with LH for next week from DTW to FRA (A330). I have had the tickets since the beginning of January. Because I am looking forward to the trip, I have been rather frequently checking booking engines to see if my wife and I would be the only people in the cabin. Ever since we booked the tickets, all the sites say there are 6 first class seats for sale.
Today I checked and it said 8 seats were for sale. I quickly logged on to Lufthansa's website and sure enough my seats had been moved to buisness class. I was wondering what in the world was going on (equipment switch, etc.). The seat map for picking seats on their website showed row 3 as the first row of buisness class and websites would still let me buy up to 8 tickets in F.
So... I call up Lufthansa and asked. At first the lady told me that Continental (who I book the award through) must have changed the ticket. Then she said, "Oh hold on it was us, let me talk to my supervisor." A few minutes later she came back and said that because of the upgrade and reconfiguration of first class seats there were less first class seat avaliable on all aircraft. The scheduled aircraft was and still is an A330 (NOT a 747) and there were still 8 seats open for sale!! Additionally, my brother is flying the same flight the day before in First and his reservation has not changed.The lady told me I would have to call Continental.
So I called Continental and got a very helpful woman. She pulled up the reservation saw that Lufthansa had downgraded to buisness. She spoke with her supervisor and rebooked me into first class. Because of the strage circumstances she said she was going to call LH to make sure the change was confirmed. When she got back to me she said LH would not confirm and then repeated the whole story they had told me.
Because of the change and my resonalbly flexible schedule I just had her book for the day before. At least this way I will be on the same flight as my brother.
Today I checked and it said 8 seats were for sale. I quickly logged on to Lufthansa's website and sure enough my seats had been moved to buisness class. I was wondering what in the world was going on (equipment switch, etc.). The seat map for picking seats on their website showed row 3 as the first row of buisness class and websites would still let me buy up to 8 tickets in F.
So... I call up Lufthansa and asked. At first the lady told me that Continental (who I book the award through) must have changed the ticket. Then she said, "Oh hold on it was us, let me talk to my supervisor." A few minutes later she came back and said that because of the upgrade and reconfiguration of first class seats there were less first class seat avaliable on all aircraft. The scheduled aircraft was and still is an A330 (NOT a 747) and there were still 8 seats open for sale!! Additionally, my brother is flying the same flight the day before in First and his reservation has not changed.The lady told me I would have to call Continental.
So I called Continental and got a very helpful woman. She pulled up the reservation saw that Lufthansa had downgraded to buisness. She spoke with her supervisor and rebooked me into first class. Because of the strage circumstances she said she was going to call LH to make sure the change was confirmed. When she got back to me she said LH would not confirm and then repeated the whole story they had told me.
Because of the change and my resonalbly flexible schedule I just had her book for the day before. At least this way I will be on the same flight as my brother.
Mar 17, 2011, 12:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Premier Executive, Continental Platinum, SPG Gold, IHG Platinum, Velocity Gold, Alaskan MPV Gold.
Posts: 461
That's very strange indeed. I had a trip to South Africa recently going through FRA to JNB. It was originally a 747 but got switched out for the A380 and we got to keep our first class seats. Not sure how they could change your reservation on a confirmed ticketed itinerary. Normally they will guarantee you in the same service on the new equipment/reconfigured equipment.
Mar 17, 2011, 12:44 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SZG
Posts: 3,936
as far as i know there is no A333 that has new F, nor are there any A333 in the pipeline to be converted...
LH is also not known to kick people out of confirmed F reservations due to equipment changes, unless the flight goes to C/Y only...
LH is also not known to kick people out of confirmed F reservations due to equipment changes, unless the flight goes to C/Y only...
Mar 17, 2011, 12:49 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 21
Nor is there an A333 that is C/Y only that I know of.
Mar 17, 2011, 12:53 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SZG
Posts: 3,936
Mar 17, 2011, 12:59 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New York
Programs: DL Plat
Posts: 628
What recourse does one have in this situation?
So say you book a flight in F through CO or AC and then last minute your seats are downgraded to business. If LH refuses or is unable to provide F and can has Business would CO or AC credit back miles/points/fees etc.?
So say you book a flight in F through CO or AC and then last minute your seats are downgraded to business. If LH refuses or is unable to provide F and can has Business would CO or AC credit back miles/points/fees etc.?
Mar 17, 2011, 1:36 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 21
When on the phone with Continental I was offered a refund of the difference in miles between the two classes of service. I was not interested in getting the 15,000 miles per ticket difference back and instead opted to fly a day earlier. I never doubted I could get the difference back I just wanted to know why I was downgraded and came to flyer talk when I twice heard the reason (a reason I would hardly believe at that). If LH decieded that they wanted the flight to operate C/Y only I would have accepted it (but probably would have still changed the flight). As of right now you can still buy F class tickets on the exact flight. 8 are avalible.
Mar 17, 2011, 1:36 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Trenton, NJ (PHL, EWR)
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the usual compensation for F>C 4,000 euros and 1,500 for C>Y? Personally...I'd take the cash.
Mar 17, 2011, 2:44 pm
#9
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If I had confirmed First Class tickets and reservation and would see a downgrade I would keep my mouth shut and start my fight at the airport.
Mar 17, 2011, 3:05 pm
#10
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Mar 17, 2011, 3:36 pm
#11
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Mar 17, 2011, 3:46 pm
#12
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Since it's a mileage ticket you would be entitled to 70% of the miles refunded under EC Regulation 261/2004.
Mar 17, 2011, 3:57 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Trenton, NJ (PHL, EWR)
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I may be wrong, but I believe I've read on here that the way the fare was purchased does not matter. It's the cash difference between fare classes regardless. Someone with more experience can no doubt confirm/refute this.
Mar 17, 2011, 4:00 pm
#14
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Mar 17, 2011, 4:05 pm
#15
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A downgrade claim would only be effective if you were prepared to follow through and take legal action as in my experience LH has no respect for the spirit or letter of the law until you reach the courtroom steps, when they cave. YMMV.