Originally Posted by
UpgradeMe
While I sympathize with your situation, I fail to see what your disability has to do with booting other people from properly assigned first class seats.
It seems like the best solution from AA's perspective would probably have been to move another passenger in the Y cabin so that OP could have sat with their husband. Would have sucked for the passenger that got moved, but AA is within its rights to change seating assignments as needed. Alternatively, AA could have downgraded two passengers from F, but then AA would be faced with complaints from them, and whatever downgrade compensation that AA typically gives. Definitely not AA's favorite situation to be in, but that's part of the job.
Originally Posted by
jennstv1
We did tell the gate agent at CLT and it was noted on the reservation. But they told us they already assigned our connected biz seats to people waiting for upgrades and there was no going back. I worry for both my safety and the safety of the people in my row in case of an emergency. If I am in an aisle seat and there is an emergency, I would not know. I hear zero of what is said over the intercom. I make it a point to never sit in the emergency exit aisle (per AA's instructions) and always sit in a window seat so I would not impede anyone's exit in case I could not hear instructions. I get where the GA was coming from, but it still seems silly to not give us the seats back in this case.
You've got two issues--one is the downgrade, and one is the being seated apart from your husband. It does seem like AA could have (and quite possibly should have, but I'm not familiar with the laws and regulations on this) reseated someone in the Y cabin so that you could have sat together, but that is separate from the "no space in F" issue. Others may be able to see if the airline did have a specific obligation to accommodate a particular seating arrangement.
As others have noted in this thread, you may be able to get the miles back for the difference in fare between F and Y. Make sure in your contacts that you're stating, without other commentary, that because of mechanical issues on AA's part, you were unable to receive the service you paid for, and ask for a refund of the difference in mileage. Don't add on anything about the seating issue, because that's unrelated to this particular issue. As noted in other posts, when you boarded you accepted the seating arrangement, so if you go to AA and say that the arrangement wasn't acceptable, they're going to fixate on that and point out that they provided you two seats.