pointsaddict3326

I purchased a premium economy ticket using Delta miles from LGA-ATL-ICN (all DL metal) and used a GUC to confirm into DeltaOne in advance.

At ATL, the flight to ICN was overbooked (they said there were some weight issues for some reason) and they needed 11 volunteers to take a voluntary bump. I passed on every offer and boarded the plane and took my seat. Then they increased the offer to $4,000 in gift cards and announced that they still needed two more people. At this point I volunteered to take a flight the next day if they could get me in business class. They said sure and rebooked me ATL-JFK-ICN with the overseas leg on Korean Air (in Prestige class).

At JFK the next day, I was told at the Korean Air counter before security that there was an issue with my ticket - since I had used a GUC on a premium econ ticket originally, they had just moved my ticket over to Korean Air and there wasn’t the right upgrade space available. They told me to contact Delta to try and fix the issue. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to reach anyone in time (and not for lack of trying) and ended up taking an open seat in economy and running for the gate since I had to be in Seoul for a wedding.

First time taking a voluntary bump and also first time being “downgraded” into a lower class of service than I booked. Any advice on appropriate compensation to ask for from Delta? The Delta agent at the connections desk at JFK said it was entirely their fault since they should have rebooked me into a different fare class (in business) since they agreed to rebook me into business and my original ticket type shouldn’t have mattered. Delta Diamond if that matters at all.

hotturnip

I'm very curious to see if DL will actually accept responsibility for this now that it's over with.

MSPeconomist

Have you looked at your rebooked ticket and reservation carefully? I'm wondering whether DL or KE made the mistake, as the availability of upgrade space on the KE flight shouldn't have been an issue. Did DL rebook you into an upgrade fare class or handle it as a normal interline IROPs rebooking? Since your GUC upgrade was confirmed and you were sitting in D1 on the original DL flight, your ticket had already been reissued to D1. DL agents tend to "see" these tickets as D1. Also, if inventory wasn't available on the KE flight for whatever class DL was trying to use, it shouldn't have been possible for DL to make the reservation and/or reissue the ticket. Were you actually confirmed (HK notation I believe) on the KE flight, or did DL just request the space from KE?

Also, when negotiating for the VDB (before the door on your original flight closed), did you ask for D1 or business class? When did the DL agent tell you that you would be rebooked onto a KE flight? (Personally I don't like the KE seats, so I wouldn't have been happy to have been surprised by this.) Did the KE flight have a PE cabin? If so, did you notice whether there were open PE seats on the plane?

If DL resists doing the right thing, report it to the DOT. You shouldn't have paid a PE fare and traveled in coach. A refund is due, at least for the fare difference between PS and the cheapest coach fare that was available when you purchased the ticket, with the GUC being returned to you.

TechMarauder

Your issues aside, $4K is a generous amount for a day later

MSPeconomist

If one gets discounted fares, $4K might be about the difference between coach and D1. In that case, the VDB compensation would just be a downgrade refund. Not good and not what the OP wanted.

cubeman

What should happen: entire fare should be returned and GUC returned for this mishap. Being thrown into main for a short domestic flight wouldn't bother me as much as being thrown into main after being confirmed Business or PE on a international. I've have had success where I boarded at the last minute gate agent issued my seat to someone waiting for an upgrade, Delta issued me a refund for the entire roundtrip. I also had an AF issue where for some reason I was no longer business after paying to upgrade and they could no longer "change anything" at the gate. The FA's ended up letting us sit in Business after boarding after the gate agent called down explaining.

There were many ways to solve this and if that plane had any empty business seats and they threw you back there it's ridiculous.

MSPeconomist

KE normally doesn't give out upgrades for free and of course KE is concerned about what DL will pay them for the rebooked passenger.

RobOnLI

Assuming the new flight was within 24 hours of the original bump I would have asked the DL gate agent to check me in for the new flights. No BP would have spit out for the KE segment because of the rebooking problem and DL could have fixed it there and then.

-RM

InfiniteDynasty

If you dont have the right fare type you can't upgrade on Korean Air doesnt matter if you're rebooked or not they wont allow it.

SamOF

The OP didn't need to upgrade on Korean Air. This should have been a simple IROPS rebooking into available inventory, whatever that was.

noah

Dl should refund you the GUC and give you something else (I'm guessing its 20K miles or $400 cert) for the inconvenience. Beyond that, given the significant credit you already received, I'm not sure you'll get much else.

MSPeconomist

I disagree. These should be treated as different events. OP accepted DL's offer of $4000 for the VDB, to travel in business class the next day. That's entirely separate from some agent's error in reissuing the ticket or making the reservation for the KE TPAC flight.

steveholt

Yes. How much would DL owe you for the cost between a confirmed J ticket and a downgrade at the gate to Y? That's what OP should get.