Downgraded on a Purchased Ticket
May 21, 2022, 5:22 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
You're entitled to $200 per passenger plus fare difference calculated based on fare the date you purchased, not flew. Fare difference may be really small if it was a short segment that was downgraded. They calculate the fare difference and then use the percent of total miles flown that were downgraded. Ie fare difference is $1000, but downgraded flight was 100 miles out of 1000 flown. You'd get $100 of the fare difference.
Jun 12, 2022, 4:01 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 2
You're entitled to $200 per passenger plus fare difference calculated based on fare the date you purchased, not flew. Fare difference may be really small if it was a short segment that was downgraded. They calculate the fare difference and then use the percent of total miles flown that were downgraded. Ie fare difference is $1000, but downgraded flight was 100 miles out of 1000 flown. You'd get $100 of the fare difference.
Jun 12, 2022, 4:09 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 2
That’s not what any airline is doing. It’s a total scam. We were downgraded from first to economy/coach involuntarily on Alaskan. They refunded us the difference based on the counter prices the day we flew as if you went up to the counter and bought a ticket. We got a refund of $75 rather than the $250 that was the difference when I purchased.
The same thing happened last month on American. Our family of five was downgraded from F to Coach on a long flight. They gave a total refund of $700 ($140 each) based on counter prices for economy tickets on the day we flew. We paid almost $4000 more to get First class tickets several months earlier.
The scandal is that they can overbook first class, downgrade half the people to coach, give them each $50 and make $1000 apiece on the first class fares.
The same thing happened last month on American. Our family of five was downgraded from F to Coach on a long flight. They gave a total refund of $700 ($140 each) based on counter prices for economy tickets on the day we flew. We paid almost $4000 more to get First class tickets several months earlier.
The scandal is that they can overbook first class, downgrade half the people to coach, give them each $50 and make $1000 apiece on the first class fares.
Jun 12, 2022, 8:33 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: ba silver
Posts: 729
Delta is better when it comes to calculating passenger refunds. I don't know why other airlines are allowed to use a different formula.
What I do whenever possible is purchase the first ticket in coach, then pay to upgrade into a higher cabin.
If the airline offers less than I paid for I would either do a chargeback for the service not provided for or would go to SCC. I make sure I have a screen shot showing the price for the upgrade. I think the airline would have a hard disputing to a the CC company or proving to a judge that I got what I paid for when I paid a fee to upgrade.
What I do whenever possible is purchase the first ticket in coach, then pay to upgrade into a higher cabin.
If the airline offers less than I paid for I would either do a chargeback for the service not provided for or would go to SCC. I make sure I have a screen shot showing the price for the upgrade. I think the airline would have a hard disputing to a the CC company or proving to a judge that I got what I paid for when I paid a fee to upgrade.