SEATING Class DOWNGRADE!?

You could get up to 75% of your ticket price in airline compensation if your seat is downgraded (or the difference in price in the US).

Right before boarding, you find out that your seat has been reassigned. Even worse, your ticket was in business class, but now you’re reassigned to economy. Can you relate? So, why do airlines do this and what can you do to get your money back? Afterall, you did pay for a higher priced seat.

Fortunately, you do have rights for involuntary downgrades, and you can even get compensated for the inconvenience. In this guide, we’re going to explore these issues and other important facts related to airline downgrades.

Key Takeaways

1. If your seating class has been downgraded, airlines are required to compensate you between 30-75% of your purchased ticket price.
2. The exact amount of compensation you could receive is based on the distance of your flight.
3. You don’t have to repay the airline for seating upgrades.

What is an Involuntary Downgrade

An involuntary downgrade is a situation where the airline reassigns a higher class seat to a lower one. Downgraded passengers can go from first class or business class to economy, but can happen to any class when there is room for downgrading.

PRO TIP
Passengers can be informed about this at any time before departure, but the most problematic downgrading happens at the last minute when there’s no time to make alternate plans easily.

How Airlines Prioritise Downgrades

Even though it may seem arbitrary, airlines have specific policies for dealing with downgrades. Usually, their decision is based on a combination of a passenger’s status as a frequent flyer, their seating class, and when they checked-in.

So, if you were a frequent flyer with Delta, for example, and you bought a seat in first or business class, then chances are you wouldn’t be downgraded. On the other hand, if you didn’t have status as a frequent flyer, booked a seat in business class and checked-in late, you might be bumped to coach if business class was oversold.

European Union

In the EU, your air passenger rights for delays, cancellations, and involuntary downgrades are protected by EU Regulation 261 (EU 261). The rules of these regulations state that airlines may be required to compensate you between 30%-75% of the price you paid for your ticket if your original seat is involuntarily downgraded to a lower class. In order to be eligible for EU protections, you must be flying with an EU carrier like Air France or departing from an EU airport. if you’re flying with a non-EU carrier.

The exact amount you could receive is determined by flight distance and must be provided to you within 7 days.

United Kingdom

On flights with a UK airline like British Airways or flights departing from a UK airport, your passenger rights are protected by UK 261. These regulations are nearly identical to EU 261 and require airlines to compensate passengers a percentage of their purchased ticket price based on the distance of their flight.

Canada

Canada’s air passenger rights are regulated by the Canadian Transportation Agency. So, if you’re flying with Air Canada or another Canadian airline or travelling to or from Canada and your seat is downgraded, you’ll be refunded the difference in ticket price.

United States

In the US, passenger rights are upheld by the US Department of Transportation. The DOT states that US airlines, like Delta, must refund the difference in fare price to passengers whose seats have been downgraded involuntarily. The procedure for this varies among airlines, but you can find specifics about downgrades in the carrier's contract of carriage.

PRO TIP: If your seat is suddenly upgraded, you don’t have to pay the difference in price. So, if you bought an economy ticket and got upgraded to first class, you don’t owe anything to the airline even though there might be a considerable price difference.
How to Get Compensated for Downgrades

Airlines should reimburse you immediately for downgrades. This means that you should get cash compensation deposited to your bank account or issued to the credit card you used to buy your ticket. In some situations, this might take a few days, but carriers must refund you within 7 days of your flight.

You might also be offered vouchers or coupons, but be careful accepting these, and read all the details. It’s commonplace for vouchers to have restrictive policies and blackout dates, so be sure you know what you’re accepting.

If you aren’t given the compensation you’re entitled to right away, you can make a claim with the airline. Go to their website and find their customer service information. You might need to provide your flight number, boarding pass, and ticket information to prove your case, so as soon as you find out your seat has been downgraded, make sure to keep track of any information that will help you support your claim.