Originally Posted by
fastair
Nope again. Even then, when your PNR reflects NF and you are seated in Y, it does not qualify for IDB. IDB is a denial by the airline of boarding on the flight in question. A downgrade from Ticketed cabin is not an IDB, (in fact your ticketed cabin in your scenario is Y, not F) only refusal to transport on flight is IDB. Refusal by you to board (even from a pad F into Y) is not an IDB either.
However, as I recall, the wording is "confirmed"... so one would have to argue about what that would mean. If I'm not "confirmed" into F when I get an upgrade, when would one ever be confirmed under an upgrade. I would push this point and wouldn't let UA play fast-and-loose with language.
FWIW, I looked it up on the ua.com site:
United’s commitment:
When customers are denied boarding or downgraded involuntarily due to an overbooked flight or a change in aircraft, they will be compensated and treated fairly and consistently.
This would fall under the case of an overbooked flight - they had simply just overbooked the flight in F. So yes, IDB does apply in this case according to UA.