I am new to flyer talk, and realize that people visiting this website are savvy travellers. I am hoping you can give me some advice on a problem I experienced yesterday, while flying home to DFW from LGW. I was flying on an VIP upgrade, with an infant child. Going to LGW was no problem, but my return yesterday was a different story. I purchased my coach fare on sept. 10 for a reasonable price, and payed another $100 for the lap child. Well yesterday the gate agent told me I would have to pay another $453 for the lap child if I wanted to upgrade, or be downgraded, with no offer of returning my VIP pass. Not knowing what to do, I asked if I could call my husband in the US, thay told me no. When I booked my ticket on Sept. 10, I told the ticket agent that I would be flying with an infant and wanted a date that I could use my VIP pass, I asked for what my total cost would be, and decided to book it. Had I known it would cost as much for my infant to sit on my lap in business as it would to have her own seat in coach (and thus earn airmiles) I would have chosen to purchase 2 coach seats and taken her carseat on with me so she could sleep. I could also have saved my vip passes. We fly to LGW 2 -3 times a year plus other destinations, just think she could be platinum by 18!!!
I felt blind-sided - it being an hour before my flight, so, i hesitantly paid the fee. What was I supposed to do? I am suprised they insisted on this, because the flight was completely full d/t another flight being cancelled. My seat # was in business and coach was completely full, where would they have put me?
The ticket agent made the mistake on sept. 10, so why should i have to pay for it, an hour before my flight? I would have made different flight arrangements had i been told of the cost way back on Sept. 10, when i booked my tickets. I think i should be refunded what i was forced to pay yesterday, or at least be given double airmiles. What compensation do you think would be fair?