While most of us are used to flying economy with the rest of our fellow ordinary folk – those who fly business class are accustomed to a certain style of luxury.
So imagine their shock when they find out right before their flight takes off that their seats have been downgraded.
Has this ever happened to you? And are you wondering what to do next?
To start – there are a variety of reasons why a passenger might get bumped.
Sometimes the original plane gets switched to a new aircraft at the last minute – and there simply aren’t enough upgraded seats to accommodate all of those who paid for business or first class. And instead of delaying an entire flight of passengers just to wait until a plane becomes available with the same number of upgraded seats – many airlines are willing to sacrifice their premium members for the rest of us. Conde Nast Traveler reported: “Five hours before travel blogger Tyler was about to board his Delta flight from New York City’s John F. Kennedy airport to Los Angeles on December 21, he got a text that he had suddenly been reassigned from his Delta One business class seat to a seat in coach. These types of downgrades from business class to coach are seemingly becoming more common over the last year or so, as airlines have struggled with operational issues like delays and cancellations that can force them to swap aircraft at the last minute. That was exactly the situation for Tyler, who runs the blog Takeoff to Travel and prefers to use his only his first name. His flight was originally on board a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, and then was switched with a different plane that had fewer premium seats.” Tyler rightfully pointed out that many travelers who voluntarily choose to take a different flight are often offered more money than those who are downgraded. Conde Nast Traveler continued: “I didn’t realize it happens to so many people. It was kind of surprising to me,” he says. “The general consensus is that a refund of the fare difference plus the $250 eCredit is a bit low given the circumstances.” But with stingy airlines – nothing should be a surprise. Afterall – the airlines (especially lately) are an absolute mess – and instead of owning their own mistakes, they’ll try and skirt the blame while holding onto as much money as possible. So what should you do if you ever do get downgraded? As disappointing as it is – try and get what compensation you can – and go about your day. Don’t let a minor – although frustrating – hiccup ruin your trip. And please don’t throw a scene and delay the entire flight for the rest of us. Plus – sitting in economy is bound to be more entertaining with the opportunity to witness passengers behaving badly – like the knife-wielding cocaine addict or the unruly passenger who has to get duct-taped. Welcome to what it’s like to fly for the rest of us, ha! (h/t Proud American Traveler)First time flying Alaska Airlines today and YALL DID ME WRONG!!! Bought first class tickets (for legroom) and they didn’t even have first class on the plane. Can i get my money back pls?? @AlaskaAir pic.twitter.com/mNwomxbFBp
— Festus Ezeli (@FestusEzeli) December 9, 2019