Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
In advance downgrades are not covered by GG OVS. However, you are eligible for either a refund of the "fare" difference and perhaps a courtesy compensation offer or free change to open space on a flight with the cabin you booked.
I did not see this portion in the Wiki (not referring to your above statement):
What is the process for an in-advance downgrade on a paid First ticket?
Meaning:
I'm assuming one would treat this like AA does where you have to actually fly the itinerary and then afterwards, submit a request for a refund of the fare difference?
AA has a chart (well used to, not sure if it's still around) for their notorious Y-UP (P fare) "instant upgrades" that were routinely downgraded (ie, X number of miles multiplied by Z = this amount of refund or something).
If it matters, original flight was downgraded and itinerary changed as well as equipment change (originally I think a CRJ and now it's an EJ145 and routed through IAD, then Houston, then final destination instead of ORD To final). Only the ALB->IAD segment is a downgrade.