Tomas Esperben

The AF web confirms the Art 10 of the EC261/2004. I booked for Mid-Spetember and my booking stills on F.

https://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/commo...emnisation.htm

Travel-Quinten

And Algiers (Algeria) is not.

On the other hand, the regulation applies to airlines based in the EU, Switzerland, Norway & Iceland. Air France is operating the flight and so it's bound by the regulation.

ChocolateFactory

The flights to the US depart from CDG. Even if the flights were operated by DL, this would still apply.

Zwiebelbauer

This is the same airline that just decided they're not going to follow EU261 for refunds of canceled flights, so I doubt any EU261 claims over involuntary downgrades will be honored.

oa424

While Algiers is not, the CDG-USA segment clearly triggers this article, even if the operating carrier was not an EU based one.

oa424

In a force majeure type situation like COVID-19 where the French government is backing a voucher form of credit as opposed to a refund this may be true. But, this fare is likely outside the purview of any such consideration -- timing wise and by the fact that the issue is a downgrade of class of service and not a cancelled flight due to an unexpected situation that was outside the airline's control. Even if AF refuses to hand out compensation it is something actionable.

freed0m

Just received an email from Air France, downgraded to business. Trip in October, route: ALG-CDG-LAX-PDX.

keitherson

I called Air France USA and they said on the phone that they are completely honoring these.

msm2000uk

It was clear to those who knew about this deal, that it was an error fare. As such, one cannot be surprised that the tickets have been downgraded - it is currently selling for $8,000.

Now before anyone tries to jump on me, a select few people knew about these flights for 3 weeks before it showed up on FT and blogs. Sure enough, within a few days of people mass-booking, the flights are amended for all.

The more experienced of us, accept that sometimes error fares work in our favour, and sometimes they don't. In this occasion, it hasn't.

This may sound pedantic and condescending, but that's not the intent. It is simply a reminder that airlines aren't stupid.

Most major airlines have FT representatives, on top of their own internal revenue management teams. When they see a sudden spike in a routing, they investigate; unlike the FT presumption that somebody called up and asked to change their seats, and that's how the airline found out.

For those claiming EU261, good luck. To those still flying in J, enjoy.

To those calling a spade a spade, wait patiently and another fare will be along soon.

M

Palal

Doesn't hurt to try a 261/2004 downgrade claim, which would be around -$375. Now THAT would be one of the cheapest biz class fares in history of FT

I would NOT try to do the downgrade complaint now. There's a risk that it'll get mangled in with the COVID-19 refund issue, but do it AFTER you fly. This way AF won't cancel the ticket on you at the last minute.

maxvor

Not even close. People who call it super-cheap apparently haven't been around when AA sold (and allowed to fly the majority of) round-trip tickets from Brasil / Chile via US to just anywhere in the world in F for less than 200 EUR. THAT was a deal.

ChocolateFactory

They just downgraded the first of my tickets (November). Rebooked into D class, not Z.

freed0m

my ticket was first rebooked in J without delta leg, then further rebooked in Z after including delta leg.

B0gdan

Also downgraded for my November flight - J for the intra-EU AF flight and for the intra-US flight, Z for the former La Premiere leg.

Not a great deal so will ask for a refund. I imagine that's what everyone else here will be doing?

fsc

Both of my reservations (both for November) were just rebooked, to Z and I, respectively.