Downgrade J to Y and major delay, compensation?
May 16, 2022, 6:32 am
#1
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Downgrade J to Y and major delay, compensation?
Booked the lowest miles business class ticket on a flight US-YUL-Europe and got downgraded to Y in Montreal, they claimed equipment change but they flew the same plane as scheduled. To make matters worse, there was a +3 hour departure (and arrival) delay because of some mechanical issue they claim was safety related. I requested a refund of the miles and compensation of for the delay but all they offered was a $270 check for the downgrade + a couple thousand miles but no compensation for the delay. Am I out of luck or should I file a complaint with the CTA? This is really very disappointing and with the other stories of involuntary downgrades I'm going to have to reconsider booking J on AC.
May 16, 2022, 12:10 pm
#2
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Note that AC operates multiple versions of some aircraft (77W and 333, for example) with different numbers of J seats, which could explain your seat reallocation in spite of them operating the same aircraft type.
Good luck on getting compensation for the delay, if they put it down as safety related you'll have a tough time getting anywhere - especially if they can back that up as a reason for the aircraft switch. If you can post specifics someone with an ExpertFlyer subscription might be willing to took up remarks related to the delay.
Good luck on getting compensation for the delay, if they put it down as safety related you'll have a tough time getting anywhere - especially if they can back that up as a reason for the aircraft switch. If you can post specifics someone with an ExpertFlyer subscription might be willing to took up remarks related to the delay.
May 16, 2022, 12:23 pm
#3
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Contrast this with UA (I'm not saying they're better or worse than average, because I don't know the average), where it happens enough that they need a dedicated thread that gets 100+ posts per year: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ation-etc.html
May 16, 2022, 12:56 pm
#4
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Thanks for the responses. I have ExpertFlyer but they don't provide any extra information, maybe because it's been more than 7 days. AC flies only one 330-300 with J so I doubt this was due to an equipment swap, more likely being the lowest ranked for bumping. Maybe someone with a full fare paid ticket rerouting or air marshall (do they even have those in Canada?). It was a last-minute change, still in J when boarding the flight to YUL. And searching in different places I did find some other stories like this but it's good to know that it's not a common occurrence. AC is a decent option for us going to Europe and this was a disappointing first time try again after many years on DL and AA.
May 16, 2022, 12:59 pm
#5
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May 16, 2022, 2:19 pm
#6
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May 16, 2022, 2:48 pm
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May 16, 2022, 5:49 pm
#9
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This is another example of you board you lose. If you are downgraded and board, you are most likely not going to be happy with the compensation offered for the downgrade. Demand to be put in J on the next flight, then seek compensation. Of course this won't help the OP.
May 17, 2022, 12:56 pm
#10
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This is another example of you board you lose. If you are downgraded and board, you are most likely not going to be happy with the compensation offered for the downgrade. Demand to be put in J on the next flight, then seek compensation. Of course this won't help the OP.
May 17, 2022, 5:32 pm
#11
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OP is not entitled to compensation for the delay. However a refund of miles would apply.
Should have asked for rebooking on another flight as AC is usually quite good in downgrade front cabin overlooking situations.
Agents have told me that there are many things they can do, such as rebook on the next flight, via another hub or even on other airlines in some situations ( JV routes or codeshares as long as AC is the longest carrier).
Should have asked for rebooking on another flight as AC is usually quite good in downgrade front cabin overlooking situations.
Agents have told me that there are many things they can do, such as rebook on the next flight, via another hub or even on other airlines in some situations ( JV routes or codeshares as long as AC is the longest carrier).