Originally Posted by
Plato90s
There's a common misconception about what the "product" is. In the past, many people have claimed with conviction that an equipment change means AA didn't deliver the "product" they purchased. Seat changes. Different meal arrangements. Lack of a particular entree.
None of which, of course, are actually the product they were guaranteed when the ticket was paid for. And in the example, the rental agent will check the contract and offer you a complete refund or take the Taurus as-is.
I'm fairly certain that American would agree that business class and coach class are different products. Ticketed cabin is a meaningful distinction in the context of the contract of carriage. The fact that sometimes people get confused about what constitutes a different product doesn't change the fact that American actually does offer different products.
When you ask - what about giving me a refund and letting me book the Taurus. When originally booked, the Taurus cost $50 less.
Rental agent then pulls up the current, walk-up rates and show you that trying to rent a Taurus right then and there would cost you $50 more than the original Mercedes reservation.
So there you are at the rental counter. What's your decision?
As brp points out, only an airline would try this. (And, apparently, only some airline apologists would think it would be reasonable.) Most other businesses try to make reasonable accomodations for their customers; if they provide them with a worse product or service, they don't try to charge them for a more expensive one. It's posssible they might figure out a weasely way to do so, but they don't. In similar situations at both hotels and car rental places, if they were unable to provide the more expensive product that I booked I have always been charged for the cheaper product that they actually provided.