Downgrade process for plane change - A320 > A319
 

Yesterday my son was downgraded on an award 1st class ticket when his aircraft was changed from an A320 to an A319. Aside from the incredibly shabby treatment he got from the gate agents, I wrote 1K Voice asking why he was downgraded with a "paid" 1st in hand while they still UGd 6 economy pax.

Interesting answer - we just bump those people whose seats were in row 3. Can you imagine the impression this makes on someone who pays good money for that seat?

Not that big of a deal for my son (except, again for the fact that the GAs treated him like crap) - but if you had paid cash on the barrelhead for this?:mad:

I've learned something - always UG to row 2 on an A320...

He should also have received a TCV depending on the duration of the trip. If not, time to call UA back again and deal with that. GG OVS DOWNGRADE is the key there.

"GG OVS DOWNGRADE" covers the travel voucher compensation amount you are owed when UA downgrades you. What flight was he on? The length of the flight segment governs the amount UA policy says they will give you.

Was this the only first-class segment on the trip? If so, then UA also owes a mileage refund for the difference between saver First and saver Economy.

The short answer is "people don't". Things seem to have evened out, but there was a long period where 320/319 swaps were a common occurrence, and general advise was to just never book row 3 on a 320.

They sent him a $250 voucher when I complained. As I said, the GA treated him like pond scum. He ended up being the last person boarded for the flight. I'm constantly amazed - it's not like these plane changes happen 10 minutes prior to boarding. Was the second leg from DEN - BWI.

They're supposed to downgrade upgraders first, then use time of check-in, IIRC.

Some GAs clearly just use row 3 as a convenient way of not sorting the list of pax in F.

And I've had that process apply to me, with the GA unapologetically saying, "Your upgrade was free, anyway." (No compensation offered, which is contrary to UA policy.)

They once tried that on me on a paid F ticket and being GS because the GA used the easy way out just bumping the entire row 3. Fortunately I had enough time to get a GS agent to the gate to rectify that.

You said you used miles, and then say it was a paid ticket....

The OP meant that it was a paid ticket vs. an upgrade--and yes, for the sake of that comparison, an award ticket is "paid."

paging mitchmu...sound familiar?

...and for irrop's, cancellations, delays, etc. award tickets are supposed to be handled the same as a paid ticket.

I'm a 3B guy who doesn't like people behind me banging into my reclined seat. I've been shifted south twice that I can remember when I showed up for my flight and saw a 319 @ the gate. Both times I was on a CPU and status meant NOTHING! That's the chances I took, not once, but twice and I lost both times.:(

Under the COC, OP's son is entitled to the difference in mileage between F & Y. If UA wants to toss him a cert too, that's more to the good.

The 319 for 320 swap is pretty common and it's even more common for the GA to simply DG Row 3. A good reason not to book Row 3 if avoidable (unless you'd like the miles + cert).

Avoid the last row in FC for many reasons.

RNE, also avoid 1B, just because.

Believe you me, I've put row 3 on my no-no list. I also used "paid" in quotes, reflecting the nature of the award ticket.