You purchased an "instant upgrade" type fare, and you were 1) entitled to fly in the First cabin on the next flight the same fare class (P, probably) was available, or 2) coach sooner than that.
It was all in the Detailed Fare Rules, undoubtedly; it always pays to read them over.
Here's how it works: buy a highly discounted First class fare, for which you will normally get to ride in First. I did so, SMF-DFW-SAT, and SAT-DFW on the return. Due to very bad weather in DFW and missing my booked flight, my choices were 1) fly out the next day when a F seat was available for my class ticket (lodging, ground transport and meals at my expense), or fly on the next flight with a coach seat and arrive the same day.
I chose to take the same day flight and fly in "Main Cabin" rather than pay the expenses and take a day's delay. I'd probably have had to pay a significantly higher fare to be "guaranteed" First class, in A or F (the priority is F, A and then P); I chose to save money and not do so. That has worked for me any number of times, but failed twice. Welcome to the club.
If the options weren't revealed to you by the agent you deal with for the reaccommodation, you should complain and request compensation - which will be in the form of some miles. ((You could have flown in F if you had been willing to pay the upfare and there was an F seat available, but it would likely have been prohibitive the actual day of flight to full F - but some fare rules require the entire ticket be repriced.)
Originally Posted by
jmr50
A recent flight in paid first class was cancelled. I was rebooked into coach. When I complained, I got a small refund and this explanation:
"No doubt you were disappointed when you weren't accommodated in the First/Business Class cabin as expected. While the restricted first class fare you purchased was actually a coach fare that allows for an automatic upgrade when available, when a customer travels in the coach cabin due to an involuntary seat change, equipment change, routing change, flight cancellation, or missed connection, they are eligible to receive a travel voucher. The voucher value shall be equal to $0.10 per mile, or $50, whichever is greater, for each flight segment flown in the downgraded cabin."
So, not only does American insist they didn't sell me a first class fare (every bit of documentation associated with the purchase described it as First), but their compensation is actually less than it would cost for the stickers for my 733 mile ORD-LGA flight.
This is pretty disappointing. The fare difference between P and the best available coach fare on the date of purchase (O, IIRC) was about $700. The receipt indicated first class, the fare class (P) is described as First Class. Am I nuts to think I bought a first class ticket? Yes, as a flyertalker I should know better, but I'm still tempted to pitch a fit (or at least stop buying paid first on AA).
Thoughts?