American now gives 40% of fare as compensation for downgrade
Mar 4, 2026 | 12:52 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2024
Location: Dallas, TX
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I would like to see some data points on how often downgrades actually occur. Yes, we hear about a downgrade about once a year...and that's only because someone has a strong SM presence and wants to let the world know their business. I would imagine the downgrade rate is extremely low and shouldn't be something most people should worry about. I've been flying for over thirty years on mostly booked FC and have never been downgraded. I have taken cash vouchers a few times on overbooked flights where I volunteered to give up my seat.
Mar 4, 2026 | 1:12 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Posts: 7,452
I would like to see some data points on how often downgrades actually occur. Yes, we hear about a downgrade about once a year...and that's only because someone has a strong SM presence and wants to let the world know their business. I would imagine the downgrade rate is extremely low and shouldn't be something most people should worry about. I've been flying for over thirty years on mostly booked FC and have never been downgraded. I have taken cash vouchers a few times on overbooked flights where I volunteered to give up my seat.
It all ended up being more or less a moot point when a different CRJ-900 was subbed back in about an hour before departure--though sadly at least 1 F pax ended up in Y because he couldn't articulate well enough to the GA that he had paid for his F seat, so an upgrader got it instead. (The GA was snippy or I would have tried to step in and help him. He had a printed paper copy of his record clearly showing he had paid for seat 1A, sigh.)
Mar 4, 2026 | 8:02 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,935
I would like to see some data points on how often downgrades actually occur. Yes, we hear about a downgrade about once a year...and that's only because someone has a strong SM presence and wants to let the world know their business. I would imagine the downgrade rate is extremely low and shouldn't be something most people should worry about. I've been flying for over thirty years on mostly booked FC and have never been downgraded. I have taken cash vouchers a few times on overbooked flights where I volunteered to give up my seat.
Mar 4, 2026 | 8:42 pm
#19
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Join Date: Aug 2012
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I would like to see some data points on how often downgrades actually occur. Yes, we hear about a downgrade about once a year...and that's only because someone has a strong SM presence and wants to let the world know their business. I would imagine the downgrade rate is extremely low and shouldn't be something most people should worry about. I've been flying for over thirty years on mostly booked FC and have never been downgraded. I have taken cash vouchers a few times on overbooked flights where I volunteered to give up my seat.
It has happened to me 5+ times in 2025. It got to the point that I started canceling my flights on AA and booking walkup UA fares, usually F. They often cost the same or less and didn't result in a disaster delay.
Mar 6, 2026 | 8:34 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, DL Silver, UA
Posts: 552
How does the now 40% offer at AA compare to Delta and United? What are their policies? Also, my spouse has had 8 back surgeries and can’t sit upright in economy on a 10 plus hour trip. What do you do in these cases when you can’t sit in economy?
Mar 6, 2026 | 9:26 am
#21
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You wait until they can re-route you in Business Class. But that might be a long wait.
Mar 6, 2026 | 9:50 am
#22
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Flying Blue, Hilton Honors, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 3,638
DL is fare difference (generally doing a reasonable job of capturing booking-time availability: at least there isn't the volume of complaints about the fare difference being calculated between an advance-purchase Z fare and a walk-up M fare... that nearly all DL premium fares are dual-inventory may simplify this: a Z fare that requires T inventory being booked means it's likely that you can use the T fares to calculate the difference) as a refund plus a $200 credit.
Mar 6, 2026 | 1:44 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Texas
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I'm sure the class-action lawyers will soon pick up a few clients and then all have a race to the courthouse to see who can be the lead firm . Refunding an amount far less than a passenger paid. . . . .just does not seem like it would fly. This does not seem like a practical decision.
Mar 7, 2026 | 6:56 pm
#25
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 46,126
I'm sure the class-action lawyers will soon pick up a few clients and then all have a race to the courthouse to see who can be the lead firm . Refunding an amount far less than a passenger paid. . . . .just does not seem like it would fly. This does not seem like a practical decision.
The key thing I think is whether 40% refund is better or worse than the opaque calculation that existed previously. For short haul journeys it is not that dissimilar to EU regulations
In EU, the entitlement is 30% for journeys < 1500Km and 50% for journeys between 1500Km and 3500Km.
Taking a typical discounted domestic 1st fare - is it likely that the difference between fare paid and full Y would be more than 40% of fare paid?
Mar 7, 2026 | 7:03 pm
#26
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Ex-EU it is 75% regardless of the b.s. that AA puts in their CoC. In some cases, especially from cheap domestic I, 40% may actually be an easy and somewhat sensible solution for many situations. That said, they better be willing to cough up an actual difference when we are talking about higher fare classes.
Mar 7, 2026 | 9:48 pm
#27
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 704
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- Changes to itineraries for 3 or more hours (domestic) / 4 or more hours (international)
- Changes in origination / destination airports
- Downgrades to a lower cabin refunds are issued at 40% of the ticketed fare on the affected segment
(I know this may be more that their shady practice of reimbursing difference between what was paid and last minute Y).[/QUOTE]
Changing the guidelines to fit your scam?
There is nothing stopping them from running this as a profit center. Purposely over selling premium seats, particularly J and F, will be very lucrative.
But they would never fo that.
Screenshots and lawyers.
Mar 8, 2026 | 3:27 am
#29
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 46,126
Ex-EU it is 75% regardless of the b.s. that AA puts in their CoC. In some cases, especially from cheap domestic I, 40% may actually be an easy and somewhat sensible solution for many situations. That said, they better be willing to cough up an actual difference when we are talking about higher fare classes.
The EU regulations pay a lot less (30%) for flights < 1500km which would be a lot of AA domestic fligths for which it now pays 40%
Apr 6, 2026 | 10:19 am
#30
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL DM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 9,798
In my experience, the majority of downgrades are due to IROPS, not a straight downgrade - flight goes MX, resulting in having to get rebooked on a different flight/routing with whatever limited inventory is left. Frequently, it is Y, especially if there are multiple passengers. In this case, the pittance AA throws is insulting.
It has happened to me 5+ times in 2025. It got to the point that I started canceling my flights on AA and booking walkup UA fares, usually F. They often cost the same or less and didn't result in a disaster delay.
It has happened to me 5+ times in 2025. It got to the point that I started canceling my flights on AA and booking walkup UA fares, usually F. They often cost the same or less and didn't result in a disaster delay.
What complicates things is that it was an AAdvantage Award ticket. AAdvantage CS said I needed to speak to Reservations. Reservations said I needed to submit a request via the online complaint form. Of course, the first bot response from the complaint form was to tell me to pound sand. Replied to it and asked for it to be escalated- will see what they come back with, but I'm not expecting much.
