downgrade compensation
May 5, 2023 | 5:52 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,880
May 5, 2023 | 5:55 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,880
Then it depends. AA's method of determining downgrade compensation in these situations aggravates all of us. Many paid F tickets are actually lower than the full Y fare, but AA tends to use the full Y fare to calculate the difference, which results in $0.00.
Were you offered the option of waiting for the next AA flight in which F was available?
Were you offered the option of waiting for the next AA flight in which F was available?
May 5, 2023 | 11:37 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: ba silver
Posts: 905
Was there no space available in first or was there only economy available for the flight you needed?
I am asking as I went through a rebooking with AA three months ago and the agent only wanted to rebook me in economy despite first seats available.
I don't understand why some agents insist on downloading passengers for no reason if I paid their employer for first class. I had to get two supervisors involved to get what I am entitled to.
As for compensation after the fact you might be entitled to a refund although AS might try and tell you that the fulthY fare is more expensive than what you have.
I am asking as I went through a rebooking with AA three months ago and the agent only wanted to rebook me in economy despite first seats available.
I don't understand why some agents insist on downloading passengers for no reason if I paid their employer for first class. I had to get two supervisors involved to get what I am entitled to.
As for compensation after the fact you might be entitled to a refund although AS might try and tell you that the fulthY fare is more expensive than what you have.
May 5, 2023 | 1:15 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,462
When doing this, you need to tell AA what the price was at the time of booking for coach and what you expect as a refund. I also recommend taking screenshots of the coach price for any flights you book in first so you can easily reference it if this situation occurs.
May 5, 2023 | 2:08 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Marriott Titanium,
Posts: 249
During last holiday season in a similar situation, I got a refund of around 200 dollars back to my credit card from the ticket. I have no idea if that was the price differences or what, the refund came in the very next day after I landed in CUN. I didn't ask for anything extra, just glad I was only 20 mins late from my original flight to join my family for the holidays.
May 5, 2023 | 6:34 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,885
Most first class fares these days are dual inventory and are based on an underlying coach fare. It should be fairly straightforward for AA to refund the difference. You might have to put in the request via prefunds.aa.com
May 5, 2023 | 7:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,255
This is a place american needs to up the game, with delta you get the fare difference plus a 200 credit, american you get an argument but yes you are entitled to a refund, I would start with the online form and see what you get, if it doesn’t seem right then the battle starts
May 5, 2023 | 10:26 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,906
The problem is that there is no one price for specific inventory. The issue is that they need to use historical prices, not walkup prices
May 6, 2023 | 12:13 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,885
Its usually a fixed up-charge regardless of the coach fare, if youre booking in I inventory. If you are booking in D, then the up-charge is higher.
May 6, 2023 | 12:49 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: KARB
Programs: DL 2MM
Posts: 26,916
If you purchased an I fare with an underlying, say, Q coach fare, they know exactly what the difference is embedded in the fare. They don’t even need to look at the coach fare on the rebooked flight.
It’s usually a fixed up-charge regardless of the coach fare, if you’re booking in I inventory. If you are booking in D, then the up-charge is higher.
It’s usually a fixed up-charge regardless of the coach fare, if you’re booking in I inventory. If you are booking in D, then the up-charge is higher.
While domestic FC fares are often driven by underlying coach class inventory due to coach fare basis codes and dual inventory checks, there can also be cases where the lower FC fare buckets are empty on a flight and it is actually being driven by FC bucket inventory availability. But no airline is going to go back in time and look at the specific fare bucket inventory that was available on a flight when you purchased your fare (most likely, they don't even have that info available).
May 7, 2023 | 10:57 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,734
Then it depends. AA's method of determining downgrade compensation in these situations aggravates all of us. Many paid F tickets are actually lower than the full Y fare, but AA tends to use the full Y fare to calculate the difference, which results in $0.00.
Were you offered the option of waiting for the next AA flight in which F was available?
Were you offered the option of waiting for the next AA flight in which F was available?
May 7, 2023 | 3:46 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,885
People should just sue AA in small claims court when they pull this. It would be helpful to have a record of what the lowest coach fare at the time of booking was, but as others point out there's other ways to make a reasonable determination when AA tries to defraud you like this.