Hi,
A volunteer for my organization (and not a very savvy traveller) was booked on a GNV-ATL-CDG-DXB-AMD trip on a host of carriers (GNV to CDG on Delta, CDG to AMD (ahmedabad, India) on EK.

He was not able to obtain a boarding pass in CDG, being told to collect one in DXB. He was given only a standby card.

Upon reaching DXB, they told him the flight was oversold, and he would have to leave the next day. However, he was given a standby boarding card for the next days flight.

Panicked that he would not get on the flight (and unwilling to wait yet another 24 hours) in DXB, he bought a business class upgrade for the DXB-AMD sector, for about $550.

My questions:
a) Can this be possible? It seems hard for me to believe they would deny boarding to someone with a confirmed ticket and let the plane depart with free J space.

b) Is he due compensation? I don't know if UAE has rules, or if the EU rules apply since his flight originated in EU, but it seems like he shoud get compensation for being denied boarding because of an overbooked flight.

c) Is there any hope in actually getting compensation? In my view they should refund the $550 and give him denied boarding compensation, but i think we'd settle for simply the refund of the $550.
I did a search on the board and it doesn't sound like EK is very eager to give refunds in case of denied boarding.
A free ticket as compensation would not be of any use (unless it were transferable) , since he is unlikely to travel again.


d) Disputing the business class upgrade charge on his credit card wouldn't make much since, since he presumably signed papers agreeing to the charge, right?

Finally, the ticket was purchased through Travelocity. They also have a poor record of giving any sort of compensation / remedy.

Advice much appreciated,
Shawn