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Bumped from First Class to Coach at gate, Paid Ticket

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Bumped from First Class to Coach at gate, Paid Ticket

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Old Oct 5, 2017, 12:10 pm
  #16  
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There is zero evidence that AS did this intentionally because someone showed up and offered more.

OP is due a refund of the fare difference and then a customer service gesture for his troubles. The refund should be to his form of payment, e.g. CC.

The AS system is customer-unfriendly. Where you are assigned should not make any difference. The UA system downgrades based on reverse upgrade priority. Thus, no paid ticket would be downgraded ahead of any form of UG.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 2:07 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
The UA system downgrades based on reverse upgrade priority. Thus, no paid ticket would be downgraded ahead of any form of UG.
UA also has a clear compensation schedule for day of travel downgrades in addition to fare difference/instrument/miles refund and their compensation is in the form of more useable ETCs which are akin to MyWallet funds/gift certificates than one time discount code coupons.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 4:49 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by beckoa
There should be some comp.

This is one of the risks of having 12 and 16 cabins in F.

And the a/c change created the overbooking.

AS told me that a downgrade compensation is $350 when I called to offer to switch flights...but the only compensation I got was $150 through tweeting after landing at SEA.

I called a supervisor at the Gold Desk yesterday and today he sent me a discount code for a future flight...except it was the same discount code as the service rep on Twitter, so it's no good.

For anyone else's future reference, a downgrade from First to Coach is *supposed* to be 15,000 miles or a $350 discount voucher (according to what I was told). Whether you get them or not is entirely up to how much you're willing to fight.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 5:34 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by PDog
AS told me that a downgrade compensation is $350 when I called to offer to switch flights...but the only compensation I got was $150 through tweeting after landing at SEA.

I called a supervisor at the Gold Desk yesterday and today he sent me a discount code for a future flight...except it was the same discount code as the service rep on Twitter, so it's no good.

For anyone else's future reference, a downgrade from First to Coach is *supposed* to be 15,000 miles or a $350 discount voucher (according to what I was told). Whether you get them or not is entirely up to how much you're willing to fight.
Thanks for the follow up.

I think the comp is route dependent... ie shorter stage length is less $$$.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 6:56 pm
  #20  
 
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There is another explanation, although 2 times makes it suspicious.

Everyone know about Mike Rowe? Dirty Jobs guy? Research him. Opera singer by profession.

Before Dirty Jobs, he did audio for in flight entertainment on UA. He had 2 passes (needed a camera man) that would get him on ANY US flight, in first at ANY time. Bump anyone.

Here is the funny part. They didn't full his pass after he lost the gig. For 1.5 years after, he would meet a girl and take her to Paris, first class, for a meal :-)

Google it. Lots of fun.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 7:56 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by Legend717
Frankly, this sounds like a play out of United's book.
OH, Snap!!! AS would never sink so low
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 8:46 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by BOB W
OH, Snap!!! AS would never sink so low
UA has a clearly defined downgrade priority and compensation schedule. Sound much more fair and reasonable than what's been going on here.
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Old Nov 27, 2017, 2:16 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by jinglish
That is incredibly shady and not something I think AS would do. I'd hazard a guess that you got bumped by a FAM.
I thought this the first time, but 2nd time made me more suspicious. Possible it happened twice as I was traveling solo both times.
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Old Nov 27, 2017, 2:19 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by acarney
So wait a second, without calling would you still have paid the F ticket price AND been on coach? Or did they immediately offer to at least refund you the difference in price between the lowest coach fare and the F ticket?

I don't mind flying in the back either (if I have to in order to get where I want) but I would be furious if I paid ~$300 for a 2 or 3 hour flight when coach tickets back at the time of booking were a little less then $100!!
I was told at the gate I'd be refunded, but I had to call to actually get it done, both times. This, along with not being told until I was called at the gate, were the most frustrating aspects. If within 2 weeks, I'd been refunded and given some miles, this thread wouldn't even exist and I'd chalk it up to mistakes happen but they took care of it.

The refund(eventually) was between the price of coach/first at the time of booking. Reasonable. Maybe could have fought for more miles I suppose after reading through this thread.

In life, it's really not worth the stress for me to haggle more, but if it happens a 3rd time, I would at least consider legal action because that starts to be evidence of a pattern.

Last edited by gdam22; Nov 27, 2017 at 2:33 pm
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