Downgrade Refund
 

It is the first time I have had to submit a request for a refund via the EK website, downgrade from F to J due to metal change (3 class to 2 class). I received a reply straight away "Thank you for your query – we will respond as quickly as possible", this was 10 days ago. The flight was 2 weeks ago. I would appreciate it if anybody has first hand experience of such a request as to a reasonable time to expect an outcome, thank you.

What is a reasonable time - at most two weeks
How long might one expect to wait for a reply from Emirates I do not know

BTW many years for the same reason I was downgraded by EVA on my flight out and I was going to wait until I was back home before applying (pre internet days) but on checking in for the return I was handed an envelope with cash to cover the downgrade

IME you can escalate this if its a case like yours of premium cabin downgrade. If you call EK and ask them to give back office a nudge then you might end up with someone who can push it forward.

I hope you aren’t expecting a refund....

What was the route ?

Not even if departing from countries where EC261 applies ?

Well that depend on notice

No, it does not.

EC 261/2004 downgrade refunds apply no matter when (or if) notice is given. Whether downgraded an hour after booking or as boarding the flight, the refund is the same, 75% of the base segment fare for a Type 3 flight.

Luckily for me I don’t live in the land of the worlds favourite airline or it’s soon to be ex friends in europe.

EK will still downgrade to the highest J fare which is often more than an F saver. I got 300aed from a much higher “fare difference”.

not an issue on other airlines where J is better than F I suppose...

Does this matter ? I thought as Often1 pointed out, the EC261 reimbursement is 75% of base segment fare. Ofcourse, this all depends on which route the OP was downgraded on. If outside EU jurisdiction, it could be what you said.

As I said I live in Dubai and the flight was Dxb to HKT so yes it matters.

The route was MAN-DXB-BKK, booked in F with the DXB-BKK downgraded to J. The downgrade was from F saver to J flex (sneaky) so I expect very little if anything but would just like a conclusion as EK said the response would be as quickly as possible.
Last year I booked this same flight in J and a few weeks before departure paid to upgrade the entire route in F, this was not a small amount so it is disappointing that I can expect very little recompense for the downgrade of one leg of the journey, but that appears to be the way with EK.
(Not expecting sympathy!!!)

I presume they have send you a new e-ticket (not sure, as this has never happened to me). You can then compare the fare calculation of the 2 tickets and see what you should get back. Or is it not that simple. The upgrade you paid for last year may have been from J Saver into F Flex or some other combination which can be way more of a difference than what they have done to you now.

By the way, you DO have my sympathy as I would also be gutted to loose out on F and get squat back. But I suspect my sympathy does very little to soften the blow, sorry for that. :rolleyes:

Thank you, you are correct the calculation is not simple as they downgrade to J flex which is probably more or less similar to F saver price.
The paid for upgrade last time was from J saver to F saver as far as I remember and was exactly same route and flight numbers. Obviously if I had known that this year the 2nd leg was to be downgraded I would not have booked F but gone for J, this is what I will do in future.
Off out for a beer in sunny Thailand to drown my sorrows.

As has been said, you are entitled to 75% of the downgraded sector (not including taxes but including surcharges) under EU regulations.

Work out the percentage of the distance of the downgraded sector, and use this to calculate how much you should be refunded.

There are some examples on the EC261 thread on the BA forum.

ETA :- Now that I'm back on a proper computer...

MAN-DXB = 3518 miles
DXB-BKK- 3050 miles

So, the return is 13135 miles.

The DXB-BKK leg is 23.2% of the total.

Let's say the F return is £5000 not including government taxes.

23.2% of £5000 = £1160

So, under EC261 you'd be entitled to 75% of £1160 = £870

*I think :)

This makes sense, I don't see a point of bringing in the fare type (F saver, J flex, etc). It only matters how much you paid and working out the approx fare of the affected sector.

OP has already advised us that this was a ticket between two points outside the EU and he is, of course, booked on a non-EU carrier. Thus, on both counts, EC 261/2004 does not apply and the refund will be calculated as per the carrier's own contractual obligations.

No 75% for him.

Thanks, I will do a calculation for my trip upon return to the UK. I booked F out and J return so will have to juggle the figures to suit. By then EK might have come up with their figure, if not I will phone them. Would be very nice to receive something as posters on this thread and others I have looked seem to expect next to nothing.

Isn't MAN part of the EU (at least for now)?

Well, there are 2 different approaches here, the one being the 'EC261 approach' and the other one the 'fare difference approach', which would apply where EC261 does not apply.
As the flight originated in the UK, EC261 should apply but EK might want to see it otherwise as they are not known to be consistently sympathetic to EC261 (read: 'they might try to weasel out of it using 'DXB/BKK does not fall under EC261' as an argument). So it is not completely irrelevant to mention the less favourite option as well. But on the face of hit I agree that EC261 should apply.

Yes, MAN is in the EU (and EC 261/2004 will apply to the UK even after its presumed exit from the EU).

But, OP advises that this was between DXB and HKT, neither of which are in the EU and don't appear likely to sign up.

My reading was that his ticket was MAN-BKK.

Please read the thread properly before complicating a simple issue with mis-information.

The flight was MAN-DXB-BKK which is covered by EC261.

I believe you've got OP mixed up with another user who posted their experience with EK downgrade reimbursement

OP flew MAN-DXB-...., you're confused and not helping the OP with this post.... Indeed, however, you are right that neither DXB nor HKT will likely be joining the EU anytime soon...

Thanks for for the input guys. I will update with the EK reimbursement offer when I get it or after I get back to the UK. Good to see that EC261 should apply as it was a UK booking (MAN-BKK).

Seems as though I applied too early and need to reapply after my return journey, this is part of their computerised reply I received today.
"Request you to send refund request once the ticket is fully flown"
My fault as this is new to me.

A flight from MAN-DXB-BKK is covered by EC261 and if a refund is not forthcoming then OP can take action via arbitration scheme or MCOL.

Where connecting flights are involved, courts have generally ruled this to be in scope of EC261 even where the connecting flight is on another airline.

I do wonder why people try to sound authoritative and advise others without having a proper grasp of appropriate legislation.

Ek will try it on for sure - let’s see...

Often1 While I greatly value your posts, I think it would be nice if you apologized to the OP in this thread for providing incorrect information. All of us (including myself) make mistakes, and it's important for us to own up to them ASAP because people do take our advice seriously.

I'm sure they will, it's the EK way. In fact most airlines do.

Hence the need just to crack on and go to arbitration or MCOL as required.

As the OP it will be close to Xmas when I return and having then fully used the ticket I will then be allowed to reapply I don't expect to have any news until into the New Year.
I appreciate the positive replies (I will pursue if EK do not come up with the correct amount) and even the negative ones (at least people take the time out).
I will definitely update the thread when there is something to report. I originally only posted hoping that somebody would know how long it takes for EK to resolve these matters, ended up getting some very useful info.
Thanks to all.

Wow I feel gutted for you OP, hope you get something good back. I would be super upset if that happened to me

Just received £320 compensation for the DXB-BKK leg of the outgoing flight, no explanation of the calculation unfortunately, but better than the peanuts that some predicted. For going out F and returning J I paid around £3400 as opposed to the £2300 it was at the time for both flights in J. Not too sure how to apply the EC261 rules that DYKWIA used for the complete trip in F.
Applied for the refund exactly one week ago.

Pretty crap compo then...

I suggest you shoot for more compensation based on the EC261 formula.

I cannot believe £2300 has become the norm for a flight in J MAN-BKK... a few years ago I could often get this flight for £1600 :-(

Was that EK?

Maybe that was back when Etihad first started and were doing J for £1300, EK competing?

I know we are going off topic but only a couple of years ago you could get J savers for 1600. I’d get a couple a year.