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Involuntary Downgrade Compensation Offer Question

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Old Oct 28, 2013, 7:15 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by turtleisland
The promotional price at which they can sometimes be purchased is even less relevant.
I don't believe any price point is relevant. There's no difference between an award downgrade and a cash purchase downgrade.

What is the basis for such a boogey man when dealing with awards? It's a revenue ticket!
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Old Oct 29, 2013, 7:30 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by dsquared37
Quote:





Originally Posted by turtleisland


The promotional price at which they can sometimes be purchased is even less relevant.




I don't believe any price point is relevant. There's no difference between an award downgrade and a cash purchase downgrade.

What is the basis for such a boogey man when dealing with awards? It's a revenue ticket!
what do I have to do with that
boogey
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Old Oct 29, 2013, 8:25 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by boogey
what do I have to do with that
boogey
You're right, I should have used 'straw man' or 'red herring' when posting in this forum. Didn't mean to drag your name through the mud, especially so close to Halloween.
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Old Oct 29, 2013, 10:48 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by dsquared37
You're right, I should have used 'straw man' or 'red herring' when posting in this forum. Didn't mean to drag your name through the mud, especially so close to Halloween.
Straw man or red herring is not the right term either. The hypothetical situation is discussed only to put an absolute lower bound on the compensation that the OP is legally entitled to, which at $2100 is significantly more than the $300 offered.
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Old Oct 31, 2013, 4:49 am
  #35  
 
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Slightly OT but FWIW. Showed up for the HND>BKK flight last night with an award ticket booked in F (unfortunately booked by mistake for the wrong week). Was told that both F and C were full. Checked the UA site and it showed award availability in C which I immediately booked. Went back to the counter with my confirmed reservation and was told irrespective of my ticket, there weren't any seats available.

Me: "OK fine, you owe me money then."

Them: "No we don't!"

Me: "Of course you do, it's the law."

They then scurry back for a confab and returned five minutes later with a boarding pass.

BTW - TG C $*ucks on a red-eye.
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Old Dec 14, 2014, 4:11 pm
  #36  
 
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Booked a reward ticket on US Airways pre-AA merger with segments on Thai. Just saw that my TG F flights were involuntary downgraded to C.

US Airways says tough luck. TG offices are closed. Will try calling them later tonight.

Any suggestions?

My routing is JFK-PEK-BKK-BNE//MLE-BKK-PEK-IAH-PHL-LGA. Sounds like the only regulators I can complain about are DOT and maybe Chinese one.
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Old Dec 14, 2014, 5:42 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by BigRedBears
Booked a reward ticket on US Airways pre-AA merger with segments on Thai. Just saw that my TG F flights were involuntary downgraded to C.
Last week I had a *A F reward ticket ex. BKK: TG F BKK-LHR connecting to UA GF LHR-EWR.

When I arrived at BKK I was informed that TG F BKK-LHR was oversold, so I got moved to TG F BKK-ZRH connecting to UA GF ZRH-EWR. Departed BKK one hour later and arrived EWR two hours later, so no big deal schedule wise. The 'bad' was being shifted over to the older generation TG A346 F and much less of a lounge option at the connection point. At least they got my special meal request transferred to the ZRH flight.

It took TG at least 45 minutes to sort this out, at which point the station manager offered me a personal apology (no explanation though) and gave me an envelope with 15,000 baht ($450) in cash as compensation. OK - net/net I would rather have had the compensation than a shower mid-trip.

I guess my point is that TG appears to be quick to bump *A award tickets (and pay the compensation) in favor of selling high rev cash tickets and I can't say I can blame them. In fact I would have gladly suffered TG J to LHR for $2,100 in compensation had that been an option, although I would have politely requested pre-flight F lounge access at BKK.

Originally Posted by BigRedBears
Any suggestions?
If your TG flights no longer have an F cabin it is what it is. The aircraft was downgraded. Your recourse would be to rebook with US but that is no longer an option. If the metal was not downgraded (there is still a F cabin on your TG flights) then seek some compensation.


SunLover
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Old Dec 14, 2014, 6:02 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by SunLover
I guess my point is that TG appears to be quick to bump *A award tickets (and pay the compensation) in favor of selling high rev cash tickets and I can't say I can blame them.
which airline isn't doing that!?!
I think the alternative offered in your case was quite feasible and TG might not be aware that lounge options for UA in FRA and ZRH are so different!
Actually the only good lounge option in ZRH is the LX F lounge and that is only reserved for their own passengers (plus Lufthansa, Austrian (only HON as Austrian does not have F anymore) and not for any other *G F passenger
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Old Dec 15, 2014, 7:02 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by SunLover

When I arrived at BKK I was informed that TG F BKK-LHR was oversold, so I got moved to TG F BKK-ZRH connecting to UA GF ZRH-EWR.
Did you get miles/points for the new itinerary? You may have been rebooked to F (or whatever revenue booking class was available) rather than O class for the new flights (as F class is unlikely to have been available to ZRH on such short notice). This would generate a fair amount of miles/points for you.

I'm curious when rebooking is made whether TG (or any other *A carrier) is able to keep the award booking class (O/I/X) for the new flights despite these booking classes zeroed out already for ordinary reward bookings?
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Old Dec 15, 2014, 11:07 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by SK AAR
Did you get miles/points for the new itinerary? You may have been rebooked to F (or whatever revenue booking class was available) rather than O class for the new flights (as F class is unlikely to have been available to ZRH on such short notice). This would generate a fair amount of miles/points for you.

I'm curious when rebooking is made whether TG (or any other *A carrier) is able to keep the award booking class (O/I/X) for the new flights despite these booking classes zeroed out already for ordinary reward bookings?
Good question SK AAR. No revenue class ticket and no mileage accrual. I actually changed the ticket two days earlier to avoid the LH strike on 12/2, and award booking class O (F) was available at that time for both the BKK-LHR-EWR and BKK-ZRH-EWR routes.

As I said the Thai staff worked on it for at least 45 minutes while I sat at the TG F check-in area. Lot's of discussion/pointing at the screen/confused looks/on the phone. Not sure how it went down, but I did have a TG voucher stapled to my BP to present to UA at check-in at ZRH.


SunLover
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Old Dec 15, 2014, 2:01 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by SunLover
Last week I had a *A F reward ticket ex. BKK: TG F BKK-LHR connecting to UA GF LHR-EWR.

When I arrived at BKK I was informed that TG F BKK-LHR was oversold, so I got moved to TG F BKK-ZRH connecting to UA GF ZRH-EWR. Departed BKK one hour later and arrived EWR two hours later, so no big deal schedule wise. The 'bad' was being shifted over to the older generation TG A346 F and much less of a lounge option at the connection point. At least they got my special meal request transferred to the ZRH flight.

It took TG at least 45 minutes to sort this out, at which point the station manager offered me a personal apology (no explanation though) and gave me an envelope with 15,000 baht ($450) in cash as compensation. OK - net/net I would rather have had the compensation than a shower mid-trip.

I guess my point is that TG appears to be quick to bump *A award tickets (and pay the compensation) in favor of selling high rev cash tickets and I can't say I can blame them. In fact I would have gladly suffered TG J to LHR for $2,100 in compensation had that been an option, although I would have politely requested pre-flight F lounge access at BKK.

If your TG flights no longer have an F cabin it is what it is. The aircraft was downgraded. Your recourse would be to rebook with US but that is no longer an option. If the metal was not downgraded (there is still a F cabin on your TG flights) then seek some compensation.


SunLover
Call 1 to US Airways: no dice, agent said she can't touch the ticket. She called Thai and they were unwilling to touch it either
Call 2 to Thai (in Australia): no dice, front-line agent said she can't touch it. Supervisor placed the ticket on F-waitlist
Call 3 to Thai (Los Angeles): agent claims that everything has been sorted out. Helped to select seats. Thai website shows all segments confirmed as well.
Call 4 to US Airways: agents claims Thai segment is still waitlisted for F. Currently on the phone with her...
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Old Dec 15, 2014, 2:46 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by BigRedBears
Call 1 to US Airways:
...
...
...
When you check in with TG at MLE:

* Calmly ask what happened
* Request downgrade compensation
* If necessary escalate to a supervisor or the station manager
* Ask to speak to someone with TG during your BKK connection

Even if US was still in *A there is not a lot they could do because they are not the operating carrier. I understand you were expecting to fly TG F but melting down is not worth it and would be counter productive. Stuff happens; and it is their airline. Roll with it and reject creating negative karma. Don't let it define your trip. Most important is getting to where you are going, and you will still have a lot of travel ahead of you.

Easier said than done but that is my advice. Good luck and travel safe!


SL
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Old Dec 15, 2014, 4:58 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by SunLover
When you check in with TG at MLE:

* Calmly ask what happened
* Request downgrade compensation
* If necessary escalate to a supervisor or the station manager
* Ask to speak to someone with TG during your BKK connection

Even if US was still in *A there is not a lot they could do because they are not the operating carrier. I understand you were expecting to fly TG F but melting down is not worth it and would be counter productive. Stuff happens; and it is their airline. Roll with it and reject creating negative karma. Don't let it define your trip. Most important is getting to where you are going, and you will still have a lot of travel ahead of you.

Easier said than done but that is my advice. Good luck and travel safe!


SL
Just got an email from TG with an attachment showing that they reinstated the segment in question to F.

Whatever they did, whoever did it - seems it worked.^
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 3:35 pm
  #44  
 
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Your call 2 was the critical one, getting the F segment put in as waitlist. Then it has been cleared by Bangkok and has just required revalidating.
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Old Dec 17, 2014, 3:33 am
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by BigRedBears
Just got an email from TG with an attachment showing that they reinstated the segment in question to F.
Good news BigRedBears - hope it sticks for you!
Let us know how you make out.


SunLover
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