FoxFlyer

I usually fly UA and LH in paid C for work, but due to work in Atlanta I had to book a ticket on Delta for a person who was flying in from Florida for a meeting.

I bought an A Fare first class ticket on-line, and when the person was at the airport in their departure city she checked in and received a CONFIRMED FIRST CLASS BOARDING PASS.

However, as she was boarding the flight, they said that due to an equipment change, there were no longer any first class seats, and they were putting her in coach (in the very last row, to boot).

Supposedly they gave her 5000 miles to apply to her Delta FF account, but shouldn't I also get any difference in fare between coach and first???

Customer Service was a nightmare, and kept saying that an A fare wasn't "really" first class, and it was actually really only a coach ticket that could be upgraded based on availability.

Now, when I booked it on the web site, I booked first class, and the client got a first class boarding pass. And yet, when they basically downgrade her to coach, there is no refund of the difference? The CS rep said the 5000 miles was the compensation.

Is this correct? If not, what can I do?

Global_Hi_Flyer

I'm beginning to think that this ongoing issue won't get resolved until DL gets several nudges from the DOT's complaint office.....

lalalala

I had the same thing happen to me recently on a flight from PDX to ATL. I had purchased an A fare and then was given a coach seat at check in. I did a lot of complaining at the airport and to the PM call center and the only thing they gave me was the difference between the A fare and a full Y fare which was less than $100 on a ticket that cost over $1,200. I thought that was absurd since I would have bought the lowest priced coach fare instead of a Y fare if I had know they were not going to honor the first class ticket. It all seems very fraudulent to me.

jimrpa

Unfortunately, there are some parts of Delta that keep insisting that "A fares aren't really First Class fares." A fares are certainly marketed as first class fares. You should definitely be very insistent with customer service. If you don't get satisfaction, follow up by disputing the charge with your credit card, send a letter to Delta, and, if necessary, your state attorney general. This annoying issue with A fares has to stop.

As for the tactical issue of an equipment change, certainly, if the new equipment doesn't have First Class, or has fewer First Class seats, then people are going to be displaced, and it makes sense to displace people on fare basis (displace A fares before F fares, for example). In any event, refunding the difference in fare (assuming there is a difference between an A fare and the corresponding full Y fare) is the proper thing to do.

jimrpa

One other thing I just thought of - if you have flexibility in your travel plans, demand to be reaccomodated on another flight in your booked class of service.

southerndoc

Delta markets A class fares as first class fares. When I booked a recent trip to Seattle and selected first class in the drop down menu, only A fares were shown.

I think they owe you the difference between the A fare and what you would have paid on the cheapest, non-refundable coach ticket available the day you purchased. Either that, or I would demand 25,000 SkyMiles + 25,000 MQM's.

COpltASgldPHX

What you actually purchased was a coach fare known as an "UP" fare which books into A class but is actually a coach class ticket usually either Y, H, or Q. You need to check the rules when you purchase the ticket. The fare basis code will contain the UP such as YUPBV, HUPBV or QUPBV. They are usually fully refundable and can be changed without a fee, just like a first-class ticket. Had the class of service for the fare (Y,H,Q) AND the A class seat not been available when you booked this ticket and you requested "First Class" in your search it would have defaulted to a higher "F" fare which is a true first-class fare. If you hold an "UP" fare and need to change your flight or there are equipment changes which reduce the number of first class seats your ticketed fare class is coach and you will be among the first passengers to be downgraded to coach. Usually there is no compensation as this is outlined in the fare rules. Bottom line is you need to read those rules before purchasing any ticket.

This is not a legitimate DOT complaint as they will not get involved with fares and the rules of those fares. Once a ticket is purchased you have agreed to the rules of the fare wether or not you took the time to read them.

Since your ticketed fare/booked class of service is actually the coach fare (Y,H,Q) DL is only obligated to re-book you in coach if A isn't available. Since most first class seats are already given as upgrades on the day of departure finding availability in A on another flight might be problematic.

In this case the OP didn't purchase an "A" fare but a coach fare that upgraded to A. Since the fare purchased was a coach fare and the passenger was accommodated in coach DL really owes the OP nothing. The 5000 miles for the "downgrade" was a nice gesture and that is all you should expect from DL.

Bonzz

This is exactly what I was thinking. If I get a confirmed F seat and then don't get it at boarding I would demand to be put in F either on DL's next flight or another airline. It is one thing to get bumped out of an upgraded seat, but when you are confirmed in First and are moved out I would agree that this is fraudulent.

El Boocho

I think the rules clearly state that an A fare is a FC fare. There have been many threads on this topic and a search ought to give you one with the fare rules for A fares pasted in to it. I believe they state the fare classes and which cabin they are in. A in in FC and Y is in economy. The rules should state that in the case of irregular ops, equipment or schedules, the "free upgrade" may not be honored.

Helena Handbaskets

So to get the refund of the difference between the A fare and the lowest available fare, rather than the difference between the A fare and the full Y fare, couldn't you just ask for a full refund on the A fare and buy a new lowest-available fare on the spot?

slappy

I was under the impression that A fares weren't fully refundable. I could be way off my rocker, though.

COpltASgldPHX

Here is the receipt e-mailed to me for an upcoming DL trip I have on DL using an "UP" fare:

DELTA CONFIRMATION #: XXXXXX
TICKET #: 006XXXXXXXXXXX
Bkng Meals/ Seat/
Day Date Flight Status Class City Time Other Cabin
--- ----- --------------- ------ ----- ---------------- ------ ------ ------
Sat XXSEP DELTA 7778* OK T LV PHOENIX 405P 8A
AR LOS ANGELES 525P COACH
*Operated by EXPRESSJET AIRLINES

Sun XXSEP DELTA 1255 OK A LV SEATTLE 345P 2C
AR SALT LAKE CITY 644P FIRST

Sun XXSEP DELTA 1832 OK A LV SALT LAKE CITY 918P 1B FIRST
AR PHOENIX 958P
Passenger Information

COpltASgldPHX
Skymiles Number: *******336
Billing Details

Receipt Information

Fare Details: PHX DL LAX45.58T21NBVE/-SEA DL X/SLC DL PHX328.37Q7UPBV USD373.95END ZP PHXSEASLC XT AY 7.50 XF 13.50 PHX4.5SEA4.5SLC4.5

As you can see, booked/ticketed into A/First but the fare calculation for SEA DL X/SLC PHX (which in airline-speak means the portion of the fare from Seattle on Delta connecting thru SLC and ending in Phoenix) shows a base fare of 328.37 and a fare basis code of Q7UPBV. The "UP" part of the fare is why I was booked into A/First but it doesn't change the fact the the fare is a coach Q class fare. The F fare (F0BV) is 683. If there is an equipment change or IRROPS which cause me to be re-accommodated DL is only obligated to give me a coach seat even if they rebook me on another airline from SEA to PHX.

COpltASgldPHX

Sometimes the "new lowest fare on the spot" will be higher than the fare that was paid to get the "A" seat in first class. In my example above the fare I paid (Q7UPBV) required a 7 day advance purchase and even though it is refundable a walk-up fare in Y or B would probably be higher.

First of all, we aren't talking about an "A" fare here. This is a YUP, HUP, QUP or other variant of a coach "UP" fare. Some are refundable, some are not. Another reason to read the fare rules so you know exactly what you are purchasing.

Recreation

I'd fight it as far up as I could go. And then I'd consider contacting Conde Nast's Ombudsman for resolution. It is ridiculous that they'd charge you for a FC fare and then not give you a refund when they seated your colleague in coach.

It was the change of planes that caused the problem, so Delta should pay the difference in fares. To expect a consumer to read through the T&Cs of each fare class, even though they have a FC seat assignment in hand, is silly.

Poor business, Delta.

ND76

and dispute the charges. You were cheated out of the benefit of your bargain.