Originally Posted by
Never Stansted
I’d prefer a modern proactive app to be honest.
I don’t disagree with some of your points (i.e. an automatic reroute would not be a good idea if a passenger had already accepted rebooking) but nobody’s going to be complaining about being put back in the higher class of travel they’ve paid for. Even if it can’t be automated then a straightforward policy that if the passenger asks and there’s availability, the request will be honoured would seem fair.
That was actually what happened to you, even if it seemed at the time to be less than slick. When an agent sees a ticket, they just see the here and now, a ticket issued in (say) H class, and someone requesting an upgrade to Club. The back-story is very germane to you but at that point not to the agent. When the PNR history is unravelled a bit then hopefully there is a shared understanding, and the agent knows they won't get in to trouble for putting someone back into Club. But equally to safeguard revenue there isn't a free ride for agents just to upgrade people when they make a good case, there is an escalation needed to someone who can sign it off. In the ideal world there would be some internal routine that spots these circumstances - after all it just requires a curtain move to fix this issue on shorthaul - but unfortunately we can perhaps understand why it isn't too high on the priority list.
And I don't think it has anything to do with BA's capacity to sell a £500 CE ticket at the last moment, it's more likely to end up as an £100 AUP, BA would probably get more revenue selling the £250 H fare class seat.
Which I guess gives another option: the OP buys the AUP and bills BA for it. I'm be pretty sure BA would pay it.