Second class first (bumped to coach)
 

Just got the current(7/99) Consumer Reports Travel Letter in which they desribe the proceedure for DL to drioop the entire family to coach from First because (as we know) they were using discounted fares and there was a cahnge to a smaller 767-200 from the 767-300!DL said that if they were Elite it would have helped to prevent it; Also they said that if they'd been in coach they would likely have been bumped off the plane.

Where would they be if they were on reward travel cert's? In deep trouble I imagine!

I, for one, always check in early when in coach/discounted fares (of course trying too increase upgrade chances) as well as when on award travel. I was downgraded by CO from First to coach and I did not like it at all- a kind of reverse perk. Just a part of traveling today!

that's a healthy attitude, and realistic

Not sure how DL handles these matters, but with UA (at least in my experience) it goes something like this:

If you've been upgraded on miles and a change in equipment (in my case) causes them to return you to coach, they give you a "downgrade" packet, which includes a confirmable one segment upgrade (on any fare) good for one year, plus two free drink/earphone coupons (in my case it should have been more - if they think I'd only get two drinks during a flight in first, it must be a very short flight). Also, once a cancelled direct flight caused a reroute to a connecting flight with no first class immediately available on either segment, so they gave me a downgrade packet for the first flight and waitlisted me for upgrade on the connecting flight; when they couldn't upgrade me on the connecting flight, they gave me another downgrade packet.

Seems fair to me.

I've been downgraded by UA twice in the past year and got just the confirmable upgrade - no drink or headset coupons. But I do recall the "downgrade packet" from years past, so wonder if this is a change, or should I be asking for the extras. Then again, I rarely drink and never watch the movie, so I got the one piece I do want - the upgrade certificate.

United even gave me a "downgrade upgrade" in April when my waitlist for first class had cleared but they changed aircraft...and never asked me for my (original) upgrade coupons. I thought that was real fair!

Last April my wife and I were traveling on Continental Business class reward tickets to Europe, and were downgraded to coach on a IAH-EWR segment due to a change in aircraft. (A domestic DC-10 with 18 F/C seats was substituted for a DC-10 with 38 Biz-first seats.) We were told at the gate that since we were traveling on "free" tickets they could not put a value on them and offered us either $100. or an upgrade certificate for a future flight. I declined the offer, and on arrival at Newark called the OnePass Service Center to request more reasonable compensation.

We were quickly offered 20,000 OnePass miles each for the inconvenience, an offer that I thought was reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances.

A note about the flight:
I don't think that the passengers in coach appreciated having share their cabin with 20 grumpy people who thought that they were going to be traveling in F/C. A flight attendant said that of the 20, 15 were Platinum Elites. An announcement was made that they were offering complemtary headsets for the movie, and I noticed that during the flight that no money was exchanged for alcoholic bevrerages. (No anouncement was made about the free booze!)

I too got downgraded when my recent ORD-EWR flight on United was cancelled and on the very very later flight first filled fast (I had the upgrade) SO I got TWO confirmable upgrade certificates. NO Headset or Drink coupons though. Should I ask for them?

Old Gold: I think there's good reason why the free alcohol was not publically announced. They would run out half way into the flight and then this bunch of intoxicated flyers would cause the plane to rock.

Free stuff is ok but don't put my life in jeopardy!

The upgrades in UA's "downgrade" kit are confirmable to ... Hawaii! 1K certs are not even that good.