Involuntary downgrade DTW-NRT flight
Nov 3, 2013, 3:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: NW gold
Posts: 24
Involuntary downgrade DTW-NRT flight
Hi all, not a regular poster here but wondering what would be expected in this situation.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
Nov 3, 2013, 4:10 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,751
I haven't seen a thread with this info for a long time, but I remember stories about those of us who use SWUs on $4.5K M fares at risk for being downgraded given certain dynamics.
Nov 3, 2013, 5:43 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 196
TOS say that you are only IDB if they don't take you.
If you're in a different cabin, they haven't IDB.
That being said, I definitely would tell DL exactly what you said here...That you're a GM, and tried to do something amazing for your parents as a once in a lifetime thing, and they ruined it by overselling BE and then bumping them "just cuz" they were on a miles ticket etc.
If you're in a different cabin, they haven't IDB.
That being said, I definitely would tell DL exactly what you said here...That you're a GM, and tried to do something amazing for your parents as a once in a lifetime thing, and they ruined it by overselling BE and then bumping them "just cuz" they were on a miles ticket etc.
Nov 3, 2013, 6:10 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,045
where did you hear this? I have seen BE oversold before.$800 voucher and returning to miles for BE vs. low level coach award (and yes, I would demand this!) are a fair offer IMO. A non-status pax on miles SHOULD indeed be the first targeted for an invol downgrade!
If the OP sends a message to corporate customer care I am sure they will throw in some additional miles.
This sucks, but it sounds like DL played by the rules here.
Nov 3, 2013, 6:13 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, HH Diamond; SPG Gold; MR Platinum :)
Posts: 521
Hi all, not a regular poster here but wondering what would be expected in this situation.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
This is not a situation where your father was upgraded you actually bought BE tickets. I think DL should have asked for volunteers and either compensated those that choose to sit in coach or IDB those in BE that didn't have a confirm seat because of oversold situation. If I buy BE I think DL is contractually required to fly me in BE but I might be wrong. Did you get all the miles back or just half?
Nov 3, 2013, 6:15 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,079
Hi all, not a regular poster here but wondering what would be expected in this situation.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
Booked my parents in BE using miles for a roundtrip DTW-NRT 10 months ago. One ticket at high level and the other low level. They checked in for their flight DTW-NRT and received their boarding passes with seats 12BC (which is what they reserved). At the gate, they were called by the gate agent and told BE was oversold and they would both be downgraded to coach. My mother sternly told them this was unacceptable but the agent would only agree to keep her in BE and downgraded my father to coach. He received an $800 travel voucher and was told the miles will be redeposited. As an aside, the gate agent told them BE was oversold by 3 - and the 3 people downgraded were all on mileage awards.
Despite the $800 voucher, I find this pretty annoying. For a nearly 13 hour flight, the difference in seating is marked obviously. This likely would've been my parents one and only trip in their lifetime in Business and were very much looking forward to it.
What if anything else should they have done at the gate? What if anything else should have been given in compensation?
Background:
-Parents have no status with delta
-tickets booked using my skymiles account - I'm Gold.
Thanks for any advice.
Beyond that, some of the options that the OP parents could have pushed for at the gate are:
1) Redirected to DTW-NGO-NRT flight (arriving two days after at 9am rather than 4pm day after) with Delta covering hotel in Nagoya
2) Rebooked on following day on BE (arriving 2 days after at 4pm)
3) I assume DTW-MSP-NRT was already out given that the first leg departed at 10am versus the scheduled DTW-NRT flight of 12:35pm
I would still press for additional compensation with either of these options but would still preserve the BE international experience for both
Nov 3, 2013, 6:18 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
$800 voucher on a Biz ticket? I don't think that's appropriate.
What's the fare difference between a OW full fare J and Y ticket on the route? I'd guess this would be more like it.
What's the fare difference between a OW full fare J and Y ticket on the route? I'd guess this would be more like it.
Nov 3, 2013, 6:22 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,045
Nov 3, 2013, 6:28 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Nov 3, 2013, 6:35 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,045
I don't usually defend Delta or other airlines, but I am seeing a fair compensation here. If the OP gets $800 and difference in miles for a o/w (!) downgrade (assuming the return is in C) I don't see this as unfair. Of course they miles for high C to low Y should be returned. With 'fare difference' I meant the fare paid (which was miles).
Nov 3, 2013, 6:47 am
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
Only option would be to force IDB but too late at this point.
Crummy situation. If they give the $800 voucher and the difference in miles it is reasonable, but hardly makes up for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I sympathize but I don't think DL really needs to offer more post travel, and they probably won't except for a few skymiles.
Crummy situation. If they give the $800 voucher and the difference in miles it is reasonable, but hardly makes up for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I sympathize but I don't think DL really needs to offer more post travel, and they probably won't except for a few skymiles.