Requesting a downgrade?
 

Good morning FT. Is there a means by which I can request a downgrade? A bit about the situation, I'm booked to fly tomorrow with my wife - I booked with cash, booked her with miles (work trip for me) and asked for the PNRs be linked and my upgrade un-requested. Unfortunately, I saw at check-in that I've been upgraded. On a call to the AAdvantage desk I was told it's not possible to downgrade me. Is this a HUCA situation or should I gift my wife's seatmate with my BP on boarding?

Probably better the latter, however, you should check with the FAs before you do it. Some may not allow it. Think of it as good karma and since you're PP you're not losing stickers.

if you want to sit together, 2 choices, either up fare her ticket to be next to you (if seat are available in First), or just swap with her seatmate, provided they will like to swap. Just because you request to downgrade, does not guaranteed you will be seated next to her. When both of us where EXP, we've had numerous occasions where we sat apart and in different cabins and survived. On short flights, we really do not care, more of a comfort thing, but long flights is different. Good luck.

Just wondering , how long is the flight?
make your wife happy and just give her your seat.
I did this recently DFW to HNL. we are both EXP, but I cleared at the gate for the last seat in F
(only 1 seat left), just handed her my seat... FA came back to me in coach to say what a great husband I was...

Thanks for the input - it's only 900 miles and I have every intent on giving her my seat if we can't be together, but she's the type that prefers togetherness. I think in this situation, she'll especially be preferring it as it will be her first time being away from our daughter overnight.

How long is the flight? dont worry my wife would always prefer that we seat together.. but I just tell her..do you want to be stuck with me in coach or relax and enjoy .. she is fine with the upgrade

Remember that requesting the downgrade doesn't guarantee that you'll be seated together.

Indeed, they've already given away my seat in Y.

Swap with her seatmate. While there are sometime reasons another person might not want to swap, being downgraded does not assure that you will be seated together or it may mean that you both have to be moved to lousy seats to sit together.

If the seatmate won't do it and she really won't take the F seat, go ahead and ask the GA to see what he can do.

Maybe the OP will get lucky if the person setting next to his wife is a commuter or non rever. I'm sure there'd be no hesitation to take the F seat.

What are the logistics of arranging an inter-cabin swap like this, particularly on a domestic/narrowbody flight?
Do you make the swapee swim upstream all the way to the front while boarding is underway? Do you swap boarding passes so the swapee doesn't get accused of poaching by an FA (or busybody FTer)? What about privacy? (name/AAdvantage #)
Do you try and get the GA to arrange this in advance? I presume they might prefer to give the upgrade to the next pax on the list but then two pax have to be re-seated in the system, and if the flight is full that sounds complicated. Maybe they can be easily convinced to page the potential swapee?

Hmm...lots to think about! :)

I'm assuming the person in F should board with F and when onboard quickly approach the FA for approval. Assuming they give it go to the Y seat and wait for the Y pax to show. Chances are the Y if they go for it will need to wait for boarding to end before they can walk up to F or it would cause too much flow interruption. That is probably the main reason a FA(s) won't go for it. The GA might for it but I think you'd have better luck with the FAs.

I've been solo-upgraded many times when I was traveling with my wife. To this day, not a single person said no if i asked that person if they wanted to swap their middle seat w/ my FC seat.

I have been able to call and get downgraded but have done so as soon as I get the email. They probably don't have any more space in the back so trading with the person who got your seat is probably the best or only option.

1. GIVE THE SEAT TO YOUR WIFE!
2. GIVE THE SEAT TO YOUR WIFE!
3. GIVE THE SEAT TO YOUR WIFE.
4. As previously posted just seat next to your wife and tell the lucky person who walks up to their seat if they would like a First Class seat.
5. GIVE THE SEAT TO YOUR WIFE!
6. Or GIVE THE SEAT TO YOUR WIFE!