Hi Tchiowa, thanks for your reply and advice. I understand the perils of selective memory when recounting situations like this, and was trying to be as objective as possible. I did lose my cool when I was dealing with what seemed like cold treatment, but she did say 'no way'. I was paraphrasing of course, so it might have been 'there is no way I can put you in first class when you paid only $180 for this trip'. That came across to me wrong on so many levels.

She also said if I had flown first class, the staff in Dayton would have been fired (whoever rebooked me). That seemed unrealistic, but I don't know...

Lessons learned - be cool, and get supervisor asap if the rep isn't being friendly.