So mr_deb and I flew down to Ecuador for a week over Thanksgiving on Avianca, Clase Ejecutiva (Business). Things were fine on the way down...back up, not so much. Our first leg was delayed, which would cause us to miss our second leg, so they rebooked us for the next day on a different routing. They put us up in a lovely hotel, no complaints there. However...although our first leg remained in Business, there was no availability there for the second (longer!) leg, and we were squooshed into middle seats in Economy. "Don't worry!", said the agent, "You will be compensated."

Well, we were...with a voucher for another Avianca trip, which expires one year from issuance, no extensions.

We've already made all of our 2019 travel plans. We are not flying anywhere in 2019 that Avianca flies. Believe me, I've checked.

I tried requesting a cash refund of the compensation...no dice. I tried requesting an extension...same. Their customer service, both online and on telephone, is difficult to deal with due to my crappy Spanish. I tried contacting them on Facebook...no luck there either.

Any advice? Although I'd prefer the cash, I'd be happy with an extension of an additional year to the voucher. Any magic words I'm missing?