Originally Posted by
Raymoland
Flew PLS-SEA on American in April and with a cancelled flight it was either fly in Economy or wait 4 days. We flew in Economy and received $100 per ticket refund per person (if only First was only $100 more than economy when buying the ticket!!!).
Request the actual price difference when you booked. If the airline pushes back, file a DOT complaint and consider a CC chargeback (service not provided). You are due a refund of the fare difference.
EDIT: In fact, file a DOT complaint anyway. It's important that the DOT have a record of the creative way that airlines compute the fare difference. Most airlines do this, and the only way that this will stop is with an enforcement letter, which will only happen if the complaints start rolling in. So I would request the correct refund through a DOT complaint, rather than directly contacting the airline again.