Ok, so the OP was downgraded because of a down-gauge. But Shareholder claims he was downgraded because they needed his seat for revenue pax.

Now I can see why this might occasionally be required - misconnects, other flights affected by irops or mechanical problems. But I'd expect some compensation.

It's nothing compared to the travesty on another thread of a FT member who has only dealt with 2 "not fake acting" AC employees in 21 years.

Simon

Perhaps he was thinking of his dates :D

I understood this as meaning that he had got an upgrade at the gate, but then some pax with a confirmed J seat showed up at the last minute. Which is a very different story. And yes, they did the right thing. May even be that some of these "last minute J" were actually confirmed upgrades.

That is how I understood it too. There is a similar story of this happening on the NZ forum, by the sounds of things the "downgraded" pax was treated very well.

or something...?
 

Well, yes, they are "something"...they are an airline, and they sell more than one type of economy seat...or would you like to argue that point?
With each type of economy seat, comes a different set or rules and regulations, and each carries a specific set of responsibilities for both the pax and AC...or would you like to argue this point?
You are wrong...you can complain.
When AC induces clients to pay for a Latitude economy fare versus a Tango economy fare, in order to secure a confirmed upgrade, AC has to respect that if they consistently downgrade so-called "confirmed" upgrades, the inducement will soon fail to operate. If they fail to even make an effort to respect the responsibilities that come with selling different fare classes, that strategy will utlimately fail.
That kind of "stuff" doesn't need to be printed, it is so fundamental to a successful business model. However, it's my guess is that the warnings not to dry your pet in a microwave oven were put in place for someone...

Well he could tell us. But what he said was:

So, I took it that he'd been confirmed earlier in the week, and that he was downgraded to make way for revenue Js. It would be nice to have more details.

Actually, they do sell only one type of economy seat. The same one that you sit in if you pay tango, tango plus or latitude.

AC sells you different economy fares yes. They do have different tariff rules, yes. But at the end of the day, you sit in the same economy seat as one who pays tango, tango plus, or latitude.

The fact that you can confirm an upgrade with latitude is a benefit of being an elite member. But still at the end of the day, you have bought a fare that allows you to sit in an economy seat.

You want a confirmed business class seat? Then buy a J/C/Z/D ticket. That will guarantee you a business class seat and guarantee that your tariff rules are based on business class.

Actually, I am right and you are wrong. You can whine.

Who even said they consisntely downgrade confirmed upgrades? Sure it probably happens once in a while, but if it happened that frequently and it was standard operating procedure, I'm pretty darn sure that a) there would be major complaining, and b) the confirmed upgrades perk would just be taken out of the AE program.

You're saying this like it's absolute certain business practice. I have never had a confirmed upgrade taken from me and I am absolutely certain that most people here have not experienced it either. And if they have, it would have been once in a blue moon, not every single time they fly.

So why are you even diatrabing? If you think the stuff doesn't need to be printed, then you would agree with me that a policy probably exists and there is no need to publish it.

For people like you to keep you happy that policies are written out and published.

If I'm flying a J/C/Z fare and I show up at the gate for a flight, I would expect my J seat and that someone who got a confirmed upgrade to be downgraded since *I paid* for the J ticket unlike the other pax.

First, I should say that I had missed the first part of Shareholder'article, where he stated that his upgrade had been confirmed earlier in the week.

Second, the whole thing sounds odd.

Indeed, we are told that AC does not overbook J. Thus a *confirmed upgrade* should not conflict with "paying J customers" who showed up at the last minute.

Of course, it could be that there was a downgage (but this is not mentioned in the article), *and* that some J folks showed up at the last minute.

Now, no argument that between a gate upgrade and a late coming confirmed J (or confirmed upgrade), the gate upgrade should lose.

But a confirmed J seat (confirmed upgrade of paid J) should prevail over a J ticket holder who does not have a confirmed reservation. Otherwise the whole concept of reservation falls apart.

Then in case of conflict, the issue of paid J. vs. status is not necessarily black and white either. Just look at how AC deals with upgrades vs. Aeroplan D ticket holders.

I should preface my previous posting by saying that if I was unloaded and then showed up and someone got my J seat through an upgrade at the gate, then I would expect that person to back to Y and me take the J seat if I bought a J/C/Z/D ticket. But it looks like we agree on that point.

But look Stranger, the other point is that the bottom line is this is a bulletin board. Anyone can come on here and say anything they want. No one will really know if that's what really happened as it's always one side of the story here.

Sorry?
 

You got unloaded...and then you showed up...?

Keep up the good work...you sure put me in my place...

You must be related to shore9.

I was told by an AC agent that once you confirm an upgrade you are CONFIRMED in J. I understand that a/c downgrades happen, however AC should do whatever they can to accommodate downgraded pax. In some cases they do, but they should try and be consistent. There are some people here who purchase latitude fares for the sole purpose of confirming an upgrade. If AC is going to simply take that away then they are taking away part of the value of paying for a higher fare.

This is exactly why some clarification would be helpful (and why I used the word "claim").

If someone with a confirmed cert upgrade obtained during the window actually was downgraded to accommodate new revenue J pax in the absence of other factors, that really would seem to be a new practice, and worthy of discussion.