I am confused. I thought you got moved to another MCE seat

Uh, you weren't given a middle seat

OP - I seriously can't believe that AA will not eventually refund the money, but you can always dispute it with your credit card. You did not receive the seat you paid for. But give them time to process the refund - this did only happen yesterday.

No, he paid for 8D. The cost of 8D was the same cost and any other MCE seat, but OP specifically picked out 8D and paid for 8D. OP would not have paid for any other seat.

AA's policy is that paid seat assignments are not guaranteed. They reserve the right to move you for many reasons, but if they do move you out of a seat you paid to select, you are entitled to request a refund. The policy does not say, "If you were moved to a non-preferred seat..." it says "We can move you for many reasons, and if we do, you may request a refund."

His reason is factually incorrect. He should have said, "The seat I paid for was taken away from me; the GA said it was needed by a wheelchair passenger."
Because it's a freaking 45 minute flight that costs $30 to upgrade (the price of a 500-mile upgrade). OP paid $18 for a seat, the seat was taken away from him. They could have made a lifetime loyal customer by giving him a $12 'upgrade' to snack mix and a free alcoholic beverage. Instead, they have ticked him off and gotten negative press.
This. :D

The legroom OP asked for is the aisle, which is not his, but the FAs!:rolleyes:

It is only $30 if eligable for an upgrade; there is nothing in the post that indicates that he is entitled to upgrade his flight and so the cost to upgrade is the difference in fare between economy and 1st

I think that once you start charging for seating, the rules should be different. I agree with the OP, I "stalk" specific seats in all classes. Now if I haven't paid "extra" to sit in a special section within the cabin I paid for then I understand that I might be bumped to another seat. However, if I pay to get a special seat within the cabin i've selected then I want "that" seat and should have more priority over keeping it and if not, I should get a refund.

I too might buy a special seat but not just any seat in MCE.

Most of those who have responded will appreciate the persprective expressed on the seat selection issue in this article:

No, You May Not Have My Seat
http://coachclassblog.com/2013/07/17/no-seat-switchin

Yes, it is about voluntary switching seats but the critical part is here:

"Maybe it’s because I’m an American, a firm believer in motherhood, apple pie and two aphorisms: first come, first served and you get what you pay for. If you can buy your way into first or business class with cash or miles, bully for you. If you buy your ticket early, do a little planning and get one of the better seats in coach, bully for you, too."

Most of those who have responded will appreciate the persprective expressed on the seat selection issue in this article:

No, You May Not Have My Seat
http://coachclassblog.com/2013/07/17/no-seat-switchin

Yes, it is about voluntary switching seats but the critical part is here:

"Maybe it’s because I’m an American, a firm believer in motherhood, apple pie and two aphorisms: first come, first served and you get what you pay for. If you can buy your way into first or business class with cash or miles, bully for you. If you buy your ticket early, do a little planning and get one of the better seats in coach, bully for you, too."

If you pay for 8D you should get 8D. If there really was a wheelchair, most people would be OK with that too. However AA flat out lied, so they should quit clowning around and give back the $18 bucks.

just curious how you define the boundary for an undefined space (where does the pax legroom end and the aisle begin ?)

That is not the cost to AA to upgrade him if the flight went out with open seating in first, which the OP says it did.

I have submitted the refund request. No response as yet.

You are correct, had I seen the wheelchair passenger sitting in 8D I would not have started this thread. While walking my dog this AM I was trying to come up with a logical scenario that would get AA off the hook for poor customer service. Try this:

Wheelchair passenger and 2 companions do get assigned 8DEF at the gate (and the GA moves me to 8A). When they board they do not want to sit in the bulkhead row and the FA moves them to 9DEF. FA tells GA about this. GA then moves the EXP in 9D to 8D. This scenario makes the GA's statement to me true ("You were moved to accommodate a wheelchair passenger").

If you have read this entire thread you will remember I said the EXP in 8D came from 13. That is what I thought he said but perhaps I misunderstood. He told me he does not like sitting in 8D because of the boarding traffic, so he may have selected 9D.

If AA is monitoring this thread (and you should be), send me an email confirming the above scenario and I will drop the refund request and not waste your time. If the NSA is monitoring this (and I am sure you are), please tell AA to respond to my tweets.:rolleyes:

this makes no sense. Why would an EXP be seated in coach when there are 5 empty seats in F ?

He told me he did not want to "spend" 500 miles to UG on a 1:10 flight. He said the UGs "used to be free."

I was surprised to see empty seats in F. This never happens on DL.

It is not a question of can/should.
It is a question of should/must.

AA should refund the money just on business savvy part.
From the wording of AA's own website, AA MUST refund the money. (a change of seat has occured)

For people keep saying the same category of seat was given to OP.
Will you accept, before the wedding, your bridal gown store tells you. "sorry the dress you want is not available, you can have this equal value one"
How about "sorry the house you pick with a open view is given to a disable person, how about this equal value house 5 doors down that face a brick wall"