When are you ‘safe’ from being downgraded or bumped from an oversold flight?
Jun 17, 2019, 6:15 am
#16
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Jun 17, 2019, 6:19 am
#17
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GfL, Marriott PlatfL/Ambassador, TP Gold, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,656
I think strictly speaking you should be safe when your aircraft arrives at your destination. You could have a scenario where your plane goes tech in the early stages of the flight, needs to return the airport and an equipment change triggers a downgrade.
Jun 17, 2019, 6:51 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
Last year I was flying LAX-LHR in CW. WTP was behind me, and some poor couple had been paged to come forward because they were being upgraded - only to find that there'd been a mix up and all the upgrades had already been given! So they had to trudge back to WTP rather dejected.....
Jun 17, 2019, 7:43 am
#20
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Jun 17, 2019, 8:52 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Jun 17, 2019, 8:57 am
#22
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USA carriers are required to file their IDB priority rules with DOT and publish them, often as part of the CoC. You can check whether having a seat assignment or a boarding pass helps to protect you. In most cases, UMs and passengers with special needs will not be bumped.
Jun 17, 2019, 9:00 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,543
I saw a lady get upgraded from economy to business on AA. The ground crew boarded just before take off and said, hey, want to cash in an upgrade? She took it. Seemed a strange choice when it was a 23 minute flight from CLT to RDU. I'm assuming she was using a 500m upgrade.
As for downgrade. I haven't noticed it, but definitely people losing assigned seats etc. I have seen.
Most irritating however is on Aeromexico where the pilot comes down and upgrades friends of friends, this after having been told 100 percent no upgrade space available to elites. Oh well, i chose the wrong job
As for downgrade. I haven't noticed it, but definitely people losing assigned seats etc. I have seen.
Most irritating however is on Aeromexico where the pilot comes down and upgrades friends of friends, this after having been told 100 percent no upgrade space available to elites. Oh well, i chose the wrong job
Jun 17, 2019, 10:11 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,076
On TP, the whole thing made even less sense as most of the passengers on my flight (LCY-LIS) seemed to be point-to-point pax who could easily be reallocated to another flight, whereas I was connecting to Africa which triggered EUR 600 compo. Both airlines seemed to have pretty chaotic systems with a fair degree of manual intervention producing unpredictable outcomes - both times I thought this would never ever happen to me on BA with a cash ticket and status.
Last edited by mec72; Jun 17, 2019 at 10:21 am Reason: Forgot to include the quote...
Jun 17, 2019, 12:33 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 228
I had two cases of 'downgrading' - neither impacted me.
On the 22nd May I was flying from Bermuda to Gatwick and the plane was changed from 4 class to 3 class. Meaning 14 Business Class were downgraded to WT+
I was with 5 people from the same office. 4 were Bronze/Silver and were downgraded. 2 were Gold (including me) were not bumped.
On the 14th June, I was travelling back from Boston to Heathrow on the 21:40 flight. When I checked in, they asked whether I wanted to delay my flight, so I said no and they said no worries (in American). When I was on the plane, I was in WT+ for this trip and the person in the seat next to me had been downgraded from Club to WT+ - I asked and he was Silver.
So for me, if you're Silver or below, you are at risk, but Gold they don't seem as likely to bump/downgrade you.
On the 22nd May I was flying from Bermuda to Gatwick and the plane was changed from 4 class to 3 class. Meaning 14 Business Class were downgraded to WT+
I was with 5 people from the same office. 4 were Bronze/Silver and were downgraded. 2 were Gold (including me) were not bumped.
On the 14th June, I was travelling back from Boston to Heathrow on the 21:40 flight. When I checked in, they asked whether I wanted to delay my flight, so I said no and they said no worries (in American). When I was on the plane, I was in WT+ for this trip and the person in the seat next to me had been downgraded from Club to WT+ - I asked and he was Silver.
So for me, if you're Silver or below, you are at risk, but Gold they don't seem as likely to bump/downgrade you.
Jun 17, 2019, 12:36 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,543
I had two cases of 'downgrading' - neither impacted me.
On the 22nd May I was flying from Bermuda to Gatwick and the plane was changed from 4 class to 3 class. Meaning 14 Business Class were downgraded to WT+
I was with 5 people from the same office. 4 were Bronze/Silver and were downgraded. 2 were Gold (including me) were not bumped.
On the 14th June, I was travelling back from Boston to Heathrow on the 21:40 flight. When I checked in, they asked whether I wanted to delay my flight, so I said no and they said no worries (in American). When I was on the plane, I was in WT+ for this trip and the person in the seat next to me had been downgraded from Club to WT+ - I asked and he was Silver.
So for me, if you're Silver or below, you are at risk, but Gold they don't seem as likely to bump/downgrade you.
On the 22nd May I was flying from Bermuda to Gatwick and the plane was changed from 4 class to 3 class. Meaning 14 Business Class were downgraded to WT+
I was with 5 people from the same office. 4 were Bronze/Silver and were downgraded. 2 were Gold (including me) were not bumped.
On the 14th June, I was travelling back from Boston to Heathrow on the 21:40 flight. When I checked in, they asked whether I wanted to delay my flight, so I said no and they said no worries (in American). When I was on the plane, I was in WT+ for this trip and the person in the seat next to me had been downgraded from Club to WT+ - I asked and he was Silver.
So for me, if you're Silver or below, you are at risk, but Gold they don't seem as likely to bump/downgrade you.
Jun 17, 2019, 12:45 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
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Many many years ago (back when longhaul 767s had just debuted with OCW) I was an almost victim of the equipment swap and downgrade despite being Gold. Some rather vociferous complaining fixed it.
Jun 17, 2019, 12:48 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,543
It can certainly work both ways, of course. A couple of years ago (as a lowly blue), I benefited from a last-minute swtich out of a low-J for a high-J config. Was thus told due to the increased number of J seats I had been moved from WTP to CW. I of course dread it going the other way, but guess sometimes these things are unavoidable.
Jun 17, 2019, 1:11 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,387
It can certainly work both ways, of course. A couple of years ago (as a lowly blue), I benefited from a last-minute swtich out of a low-J for a high-J config. Was thus told due to the increased number of J seats I had been moved from WTP to CW. I of course dread it going the other way, but guess sometimes these things are unavoidable.