Removed from First after boarding
Oct 28, 2012, 9:30 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
FA was super nice - just came by and said they've posted some bonus miles to my account - totally unsolicited. They've offered me free drinks and anything off the menu. They actually have gone out of their way to apologize, even though I never even complained about it. Overall, it's actually been a good customer service experience.
Oct 28, 2012, 9:31 pm
#18
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL - DM, Charter KM; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 1,355
I saw this happen once ATL-BOG...with a twist.
The GA tried to pull the wrong guy - a paid FC pax from pax and stick him in coach. They went back and forth for a while when finally the GA said "Sir, the pax who PAID for this seat is here." To which he replied, "I PAID for this seat too." The GA walked off the plane and came back about 5 minutes later apologizing profusely...just prior to pulling the guy sitting next to him - his intended target.
The GA tried to pull the wrong guy - a paid FC pax from pax and stick him in coach. They went back and forth for a while when finally the GA said "Sir, the pax who PAID for this seat is here." To which he replied, "I PAID for this seat too." The GA walked off the plane and came back about 5 minutes later apologizing profusely...just prior to pulling the guy sitting next to him - his intended target.
Oct 29, 2012, 5:01 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Portland, OR
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Posts: 1,676
But without transparency, we'll never know if procedures were followed.
Oct 29, 2012, 5:42 am
#21
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
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I guess my biggest question is not one of compensation, but more around the protocol... Curious, as I've never seen this happen before. The GA and FA were super nice, we joked about it, and I don't think I'm entitled to much if anything here. But I had no idea you could get upgraded, board a plane and then be told to move and I'm curious as to what scenario the "free downgrade" can be applied :-) . I hung my head in shame and returned to my seat. No worse for the wear. I should have grabbed my Gin and Tonic on the way out though - that was a clear error on my part!
Mr. Kipper has been upgraded and downgraded on the same flight after boarding. He boarded, and the passenger for the last seat in first hadn't arrived. They upgraded him, and as he was walking up to the seat, the passenger arrived, and he was bumped back to coach. Sounds like the FA's took good care of you in the end.
Oct 29, 2012, 6:37 am
#22
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Other than emotional up/down as long as you get your original or better seat back and FA/GA's remain very nice about it, not much of a problem IMO.
Yesterday was not a normal travel day either and it sounds like OP handled it very well. Certainly a deflating moment though....
Yesterday was not a normal travel day either and it sounds like OP handled it very well. Certainly a deflating moment though....
Oct 29, 2012, 6:45 am
#23
Suspended
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This thread is useful for a variety of reasons:
1. It shows that good CS trumps unfortunate ocurrences. The DL people involved all treated OP with respect and decently and he's not upset. What tends to upset people the most is not the unfortunate situation, but the aftermath.
2. A lot depends on timing. While it's true that a paid F pax ought to trump a freebie, that really ought to end at T-15. That's what DL uses to deny IDB compensation, even when a flight is delayed. In theory, the paid F pax could have been denied boarding or told that he could accept a Y seat. But, DL has it both ways here.
One consideration would be to have DL make it clear when UG at the gate into seats actually held by paid F that if the paid guy shows, the UG loses his seat. Then the UG has nothing to complain about.
On the subject of "who" gets the DG, it just comes down to the priority on getting the flight out. If 2C is the paid seat, whoever occupies that seat gets bumped back. The less movement in the cabin, the faster the aircraft pushes.
1. It shows that good CS trumps unfortunate ocurrences. The DL people involved all treated OP with respect and decently and he's not upset. What tends to upset people the most is not the unfortunate situation, but the aftermath.
2. A lot depends on timing. While it's true that a paid F pax ought to trump a freebie, that really ought to end at T-15. That's what DL uses to deny IDB compensation, even when a flight is delayed. In theory, the paid F pax could have been denied boarding or told that he could accept a Y seat. But, DL has it both ways here.
One consideration would be to have DL make it clear when UG at the gate into seats actually held by paid F that if the paid guy shows, the UG loses his seat. Then the UG has nothing to complain about.
On the subject of "who" gets the DG, it just comes down to the priority on getting the flight out. If 2C is the paid seat, whoever occupies that seat gets bumped back. The less movement in the cabin, the faster the aircraft pushes.
Oct 29, 2012, 9:56 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,614
Are you sure it was an identical plane? ATL-SNA indicates you were on all 757s today. Problem with DL's fleet is no two 757s are alike when it comes to cabin configuration. Along with the delay possibly allowing the Paid F passengers to show up, another possibility is you could have been moved to another 757 with fewer F seats, and thus if you were the last one upgraded, my guess would be that you are the first to lose the upgrade in an equipment sub.
Personally I don't think you should get anything for it, but since you're a DM, DL might throw some miles your way of you complain. I'd chalk it up as **** happens. Yea, it's a let down but you didn't get anything you didn't pay for.
Personally I don't think you should get anything for it, but since you're a DM, DL might throw some miles your way of you complain. I'd chalk it up as **** happens. Yea, it's a let down but you didn't get anything you didn't pay for.
This equipment swap caused havoc at boarding, due to the need to rearrange seating.
Oct 29, 2012, 10:08 am
#25
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I've seen GAs announce a wait to swap aircraft but then fail to realize that different aircraft types, not just different configurations of the same bird, have different seat maps. There's nothing like starting to board a badly delayed and overbooked flight to have some people realize during boarding that their seats don't exist on the new plane.
Oct 29, 2012, 11:55 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SEA
Posts: 398
/joke on/ New FAA rule, if your seat does not exist on the plane, you are allowed to pick any empty seat and sit in it. If there is no empty seat, you get to sit in the cockpit. /joke off/
Oct 29, 2012, 12:40 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: Delta Diamond
Posts: 84
I have been upgraded at the gate and then downgraded just after pre-flight-beverage. How would you handle the situation if your 'new' seat was a middle, non-EC seat in the back since they had given your carefully chosen exit or EC seat away once you scored the upgrade? Same question when you get "upgraded" to a bulkhead seat on the 737-800 for a redeye. I'd rather sit in 10c or exit row in that case. How would you handle these situations?
Oct 29, 2012, 12:50 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,786
I have been upgraded at the gate and then downgraded just after pre-flight-beverage. How would you handle the situation if your 'new' seat was a middle, non-EC seat in the back since they had given your carefully chosen exit or EC seat away once you scored the upgrade? Same question when you get "upgraded" to a bulkhead seat on the 737-800 for a redeye. I'd rather sit in 10c or exit row in that case. How would you handle these situations?
Oct 29, 2012, 12:54 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX, SFO
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Posts: 1,634
Been thinking about this one before posting.
(a) How many VALID reasons are there really for a downgrade after an upgrade?
(b) As a poster above stated, at T-15, your upgrade should be not "downgradable".. If you aren't at the gate by then, whether you paid for the seat up front or not, the GA's can give your seat away whether they upgrade someone else into the seat or seat a standby. If someone else has taken your seat because you are late, the solution is for you to get to the gate earlier next time.
(c) If I were upgraded then downgraded, I would of course be polite, but I would really make it a point at the appropriate time to inquire as to the exact reason for the downgrade, especially if the downgrade occurred after T-15 had passed.
(a) How many VALID reasons are there really for a downgrade after an upgrade?
(b) As a poster above stated, at T-15, your upgrade should be not "downgradable".. If you aren't at the gate by then, whether you paid for the seat up front or not, the GA's can give your seat away whether they upgrade someone else into the seat or seat a standby. If someone else has taken your seat because you are late, the solution is for you to get to the gate earlier next time.
(c) If I were upgraded then downgraded, I would of course be polite, but I would really make it a point at the appropriate time to inquire as to the exact reason for the downgrade, especially if the downgrade occurred after T-15 had passed.
Oct 29, 2012, 12:59 pm
#30
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The GA and FA were super nice, we joked about it, and I don't think I'm entitled to much if anything here. But I had no idea you could get upgraded, board a plane and then be told to move and I'm curious as to what scenario the "free downgrade" can be applied :-) . I hung my head in shame and returned to my seat. No worse for the wear. I should have grabbed my Gin and Tonic on the way out though - that was a clear error on my part!