I got downgraded. Help please.
Feb 7, 2018, 12:54 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 324
I got downgraded. Help please.
I posted this on the air France forum and they suggested I try here as well.
So I booked a premium economy flight out of LAX to LHR (Virgin Atlantic) then back to LAX via CDG (Air France) for late April/early May. I originally booked through delta.com. I called Air France and upgraded our CDG->LAX leg to business, but I just got an email saying that our outbound Virgin leg is now regular economy (class V). The lady who sold us the upgrade didn't mention we would be downgraded for our outbound flight into LHR. Is this common? Any recourse?
I called virgin and they said the flight is still a 787 with all 3 classes so that's not the issue.
So I booked a premium economy flight out of LAX to LHR (Virgin Atlantic) then back to LAX via CDG (Air France) for late April/early May. I originally booked through delta.com. I called Air France and upgraded our CDG->LAX leg to business, but I just got an email saying that our outbound Virgin leg is now regular economy (class V). The lady who sold us the upgrade didn't mention we would be downgraded for our outbound flight into LHR. Is this common? Any recourse?
I called virgin and they said the flight is still a 787 with all 3 classes so that's not the issue.
Feb 7, 2018, 1:16 pm
#3
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The two aren't connected - upgrading one leg one one carrier shouldn't affect another leg on a different one.
But it would be helpful to provide flight numbers and dates and more info on the email about the downgrade and who sent it to you.
But it would be helpful to provide flight numbers and dates and more info on the email about the downgrade and who sent it to you.
Feb 7, 2018, 1:23 pm
#4
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Going through AF when you purchased the ticket through DL is almost certainly going to cause issues (I assume the flight was initially DL coded). AF should only handle day of departure upgrades. Not terribly surprised the ticket got messed up.
Feb 7, 2018, 1:24 pm
#5
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The OP never said he was downgraded from LAX>CDG! For a start he was only booked on VS from LAX>LHR and was upgraded by someone. VS doesn't even fly from LHR>CDG! He happens to be flying back from CDG>LHR>LAX however on AF in Business and was NOT downgraded! Read his thread carefully!
Last edited by audidudi; Feb 7, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Feb 7, 2018, 1:27 pm
#6
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The two have nothing to do with each other. Even if they happened to be on the same carrier.
VS is an EU carrier. Thus, you are due an EC 261/2004 refund (not compensation, but refund) of 75% of the fare paid for LAX-CDG in PE. The refund is due from VS as the operating carrier.
Or you could call DL as the ticketing carrier to determine what, if anything, can be done about the downgrade, and ask to be moved to a flight with availability. Given that the refund is 75% of the segment fare, you may do quite well out of this. I would run the numbers first.
VS is an EU carrier. Thus, you are due an EC 261/2004 refund (not compensation, but refund) of 75% of the fare paid for LAX-CDG in PE. The refund is due from VS as the operating carrier.
Or you could call DL as the ticketing carrier to determine what, if anything, can be done about the downgrade, and ask to be moved to a flight with availability. Given that the refund is 75% of the segment fare, you may do quite well out of this. I would run the numbers first.
Feb 7, 2018, 1:35 pm
#7
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The OP never said he was downgraded from LAX>CDG! For a start he only on VS booked from LAX>LHR and was upgraded by someone. VS doesn't even fly from LHR>CDG! He happens to be flying back from CDG>LHR>LAX however on AF in Business and was NOT downgraded! Read his thread carefully!
Then ask yourself since when did AF fly CDG-LHR-LAX on its metal in the last 10 years after its experiment failed?
Feb 7, 2018, 1:37 pm
#8
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 324
So it's vs8 lax to lhr that got downgraded leaving 4/21. I got the upgrade on af from an air France agent for cdg to lax on 5/4 (don't remember the flight number off hand but it leaves at 1:25pm local time). On hold with Delta now who says I have to pay an additional $480 to get our original seats in proum economy back. That is the only option I got. Thanks for your help.
Feb 7, 2018, 1:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
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I posted this on the air France forum and they suggested I try here as well.
So I booked a premium economy flight out of LAX to LHR (Virgin Atlantic) then back to LAX via CDG (Air France) for late April/early May. I originally booked through delta.com. I called Air France and upgraded our CDG->LAX leg to business, but I just got an email saying that our outbound Virgin leg is now regular economy (class V). The lady who sold us the upgrade didn't mention we would be downgraded for our outbound flight into LHR. Is this common? Any recourse?
I called virgin and they said the flight is still a 787 with all 3 classes so that's not the issue.
So I booked a premium economy flight out of LAX to LHR (Virgin Atlantic) then back to LAX via CDG (Air France) for late April/early May. I originally booked through delta.com. I called Air France and upgraded our CDG->LAX leg to business, but I just got an email saying that our outbound Virgin leg is now regular economy (class V). The lady who sold us the upgrade didn't mention we would be downgraded for our outbound flight into LHR. Is this common? Any recourse?
I called virgin and they said the flight is still a 787 with all 3 classes so that's not the issue.
The OP never said he was downgraded from LAX>CDG! For a start he only on VS booked from LAX>LHR and was upgraded by someone. VS doesn't even fly from LHR>CDG! He happens to be flying back from CDG>LHR>LAX however on AF in Business and was NOT downgraded! Read his thread carefully!
As to what may have happened, if the OP was trying to upgrade via cash, could it be that the "lady that sold them the upgrade" inadvertently repriced the ticket without communicating accordingly with the OP where she moved them to economy on the outbound and business on the return?
Feb 7, 2018, 1:47 pm
#11
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OK, so OP has an open jaw ticket as follows:
LAX-LHR on VS outbound
CDG-LAX on AF inbound
Both directions seem to have been purchased in premium economy and it's presumably not an award ticket. Right? Then shortly after purchasing the ticket, OP paid (MONEY???) to upgrade the AF operated return segment from PE to business class. This happened last spring. Then very recently (today?), OP got an email saying that the outbound portion had been downgraded from PE to regular coach on the same VS flight. Correct? What did VS say when OP phoned other than that the segment is still operated by a three class aircraft? If the ticket is currently V class, what class was it originally? Is the PE cabin now full on the flight, scheduled for late spring?
Is this on DL ticket stock? How was the ticket purchased? Were any flights sold under codeshare flight numbers? Fare classes/ booking classes?
LAX-LHR on VS outbound
CDG-LAX on AF inbound
Both directions seem to have been purchased in premium economy and it's presumably not an award ticket. Right? Then shortly after purchasing the ticket, OP paid (MONEY???) to upgrade the AF operated return segment from PE to business class. This happened last spring. Then very recently (today?), OP got an email saying that the outbound portion had been downgraded from PE to regular coach on the same VS flight. Correct? What did VS say when OP phoned other than that the segment is still operated by a three class aircraft? If the ticket is currently V class, what class was it originally? Is the PE cabin now full on the flight, scheduled for late spring?
Is this on DL ticket stock? How was the ticket purchased? Were any flights sold under codeshare flight numbers? Fare classes/ booking classes?
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Feb 7, 2018 at 1:53 pm
Feb 7, 2018, 1:48 pm
#12
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audidudi ... You might want to re-read the OP's post again. The OP says: flight out of LAX to LHR and then back to LAX via CDG. I interpret this to be: LAX-LHR and then LHR-CDG-LAX. With that on hand, the OP's commentary about being downgraded for their outbound does tie to the LAX-LHR segment.
As to what may have happened, if the OP was trying to upgrade via cash, could it be that the "lady that sold them the upgrade" inadvertently repriced the ticket without communicating accordingly with the OP where she moved them to economy on the outbound and business on the return?
As to what may have happened, if the OP was trying to upgrade via cash, could it be that the "lady that sold them the upgrade" inadvertently repriced the ticket without communicating accordingly with the OP where she moved them to economy on the outbound and business on the return?
Feb 7, 2018, 1:50 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
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BOS-CDG-MAN on AF
MAN-BOS-MSP on VS
Two weeks before the outbound flight I called AF and upgraded with SkyMiles from PE to Business. It took about 5 minutes and there were no subsequent problems. As I understand it, when you call the US number for AF you get Delta agents; when I made the call it was clear that the agent on the AF line had access to my SkyMiles account. I had to do a similar upgrade on VS through Delta, which took much longer because the DL agent had to talk with a VS agent while I was on the phone.
All the flights were initially on the Delta codeshare flight numbers. The upgrades changed those flights to the operating carriers’ flight numbers.
It is not clear whether the OP was upgrading with miles or money, but it is not a problem to upgrade with miles by calling AF.
