Originally Posted by
NeverFirst
I'm not sure you were "downgraded", since you had no booking on that flight. You were holding a J ticket (not for this flight) and BA offered you a WTP seat. This might not count as a downgrade.
Imagine if there really were no seats available when you arrived, would that have been considered "involuntarily denied boarding"? I don't think so, since you had no booking on the flight.
Having said all that, I wish you every success in getting the compensation (and don't ever say you "volunteered") but the fault seems to lie with the call centre not rebooking you correctly - if they had then you should definitely get the downgrade comp.
I have to agree with this post.
Obviously the Call Centre messed up and didn't make/confirm the booking.
I think this situation is similar to waitlisting.
You went to the airport with no booking (despite being told otherwise) and the manager there put you on waitlist. Did he/she ask you are would you be happy to travel in a lower cabin?
I've missed a flight to Munich last year (J class) and the next one was fully booked in J. I was asked would I be prepared to travel Y in event of a no show (I said yes) and I ended up in 20e.
Glad you and your young ones got back home without too much of a delay.
EDIT* Just seen your update. Good that your happy with the Compensation. There must have been some sort of an error (auto-cancellation) when the Call Centre booked you and in looking further into it BA decided to pay up.