LobsterStalker Posted July 11 #1 Share Posted July 11 I amwondering if anyone has experience having booked A higher class ticket (First/Business/Premium) and then you miss a connection or flight is cancelled or whatever . At that point obviously you are most certainly not going to luck your way into another first class seat as you scramble to get something rescheduled to get you to your destination . In a case like this will there be compensation from the airline for not making good on your Class of seat you paid for , or are you out of luck ? Cheers , Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted July 12 #2 Share Posted July 12 I can only tell you what happened in my case. I was booked first class on Delta. I missed my connection due to a number of issues on their part, but was able to snag another flight to my final destination. That flight had me in economy and that’s how they treated me. I received no compensation for that flight but was happy to get where I was going so I didn’t pursue it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbgd Posted July 12 #3 Share Posted July 12 (edited) IME, with a few different airlines you can either accept an earlier flight in a lower class of travel (without refund) or wait until there are seats in your cabin of travel. Luckily the only times this happened to me has been when I’m connecting to flights with very high frequency (longhaul and shorthaul) so even though I’ve not gone on the next flight it’s been maybe half a day’s wait. On US domestic flights where elite status passengers get unlimited upgrades sometimes several days out it can be quite tricky to score last minute First/Business seats. However, on longhaul flights where very few airlines give away the seats upfront it is generally much easier to be accommodated when you miss a connection. Edited July 12 by fbgd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted July 12 #4 Share Posted July 12 Concur with fbgd. Take your choice - wait for a flight with your class of service available or take whatever can get you to your destination. Sometimes an airline may give you some FF miles as a small token. Emphasis on small. You won't get a fare refund if you opt for the next available in a lower class of service. And remember that there is a hell of difference between having a day of departure flight cancellation and a missed connection. Fare rules and contract of carriage may come into play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 12 #5 Share Posted July 12 Hmmm....just last April, our flight home went mechanical on the taxi way on departure. Went back to the gate. The info from the airline was "rescheduled 2 hours from now" for many hours (original departure 10:20am). Finally, at 6:30, I noticed 2 seats on the 7:15 scheduled departure on the app. One in First, one in Economy Plus. I raced to Customer Service and grabbed those seats. DW was put in First, I got Economy Plus. The next day I filed for a cash refund (specifically, no credits)for the difference in fares from First to Economy Plus for my ticket. It was approved and paid within 10 days. This was on United. The actual plane/flight I was supposed to be on actually departed about 10pm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 12 Author #6 Share Posted July 12 The planes that I am flying ( most commonly Westjet from Halifax to Florida ) , generally have only 3 rows (12 seats) of premium seating . If I were to be waiting for same class to open up I'm sure I'd be waiting an awfully long time , as it seems they are generally booked well in advance. I guess hoping for the best and attempting a refund if something goes awry is all I can do .. One thing is certain , the older I get the less tolerable being herded into economy like cattle becomes for me. Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffydawg Posted July 12 #7 Share Posted July 12 Here's what happened to me. Paid for business class on KLM route BUD-AMS-IAH. Weather in BUD resulted in delayed departure from BUD and despite a 4.5 hour connection in AMS I missed the outbound flight from AMS to IAH. KLM put me in business class on next available flight to IAH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbug123 Posted July 20 #8 Share Posted July 20 You have the right to wait until you can be rebooked in the fare class you paid for. But of course, this may mean waiting a day, two days, or more and if you're trying to get to a cruise you may not be able to wait. The catch is that if you agree to fly sooner in a downgraded seat, it is considered a voluntary downgrade, and compensation generally isn't due. If you're a loyal/status customer of the airline you may get some compensation but I wouldn't count on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6rugrats Posted July 21 #9 Share Posted July 21 The airline I work for would give you a choice of waiting for a seat in the originally booked service class or accepting a seat on an earlier flight in economy and then requesting a refund for the fare difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #10 Share Posted July 23 On 7/21/2024 at 5:37 PM, 6rugrats said: The airline I work for would give you a choice of waiting for a seat in the originally booked service class or accepting a seat on an earlier flight in economy and then requesting a refund for the fare difference. Ya , ok , but worst of that is that a last minute flight in economy will likely price out much higher than a premium seat booked months in advance .... Hoping for the best I guess Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 23 #11 Share Posted July 23 19 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said: Ya , ok , but worst of that is that a last minute flight in economy will likely price out much higher than a premium seat booked months in advance .... Hoping for the best I guess Cheers Isn't your priority to just get there...in the case of cancelations and emergency re-bookings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #12 Share Posted July 23 So here's a new wrinkle which brings up a new question . I just received an Email that my itinerary has changed , and now for the final leg of my flight home from Hawaii I am being bumped to economy from my previously paid for Premium seat ...... Not impressed ! In this case since it is a change 3 months before I even embark for my trip , and this is clearly not what I paid for , I would think I am entitled to compensation !?? Of course no mention of this in the E-mail . Anyone with any insight to add ? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 23 #13 Share Posted July 23 If you tell us the airline, someone here will be able to give you the exact policy and likely outcomes. You are definitely entitled to cancel your trip with refund, for sure. But I think the issue may also include a plane change to a model that doesn't have Premium economy. So, all the relevant details...airline, plane models, etc, would be very helpful, but only if you want a fairly official, factual answer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #14 Share Posted July 23 20 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said: If you tell us the airline, someone here will be able to give you the exact policy and likely outcomes. You are definitely entitled to cancel your trip with refund, for sure. But I think the issue may also include a plane change to a model that doesn't have Premium economy. So, all the relevant details...airline, plane models, etc, would be very helpful, but only if you want a fairly official, factual answer. flying Westjet the previous night same flight number offers premium seating. Seems they just don't have the availability.Boeing 737-800 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #15 Share Posted July 23 29 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said: Isn't your priority to just get there...in the case of cancelations and emergency re-bookings? Yes , that is my priority . When I go to a nice restaurant my priority is to be fed . If I was served a hotdog in place of the ribeye I ordered , I would also expect some compensation . I'm not sure I understand the point of your question , as clearly I am trying to educate myself of my options in the case of disruptions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 23 #16 Share Posted July 23 47 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said: Yes , that is my priority . When I go to a nice restaurant my priority is to be fed . If I was served a hotdog in place of the ribeye I ordered , I would also expect some compensation . I'm not sure I understand the point of your question , as clearly I am trying to educate myself of my options in the case of disruptions My point is, in the case of a last minute cancelation when your are trying to catch a cruise, you take what you can get. As mentioned above, you are entitled to, and very highly that you will get compensated. But overall, the first priority is to just get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #17 Share Posted July 23 5 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said: My point is, in the case of a last minute cancelation when your are trying to catch a cruise, you take what you can get. As mentioned above, you are entitled to, and very highly that you will get compensated. But overall, the first priority is to just get there. The point of my thread has never been to learn what my priorities are , but thank you for the lesson . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6rugrats Posted July 23 #18 Share Posted July 23 (edited) You can't have everything. Sometimes, travel does not work out the way you want, and it's frustrating. Yes, last-minute tickets are expensive. Yes, all airlines have schedule and equipment changes; you are always free to cancel with a full refund or you can try to find flights that work better for you and request that you be placed on those flights. I don't know Canadian law, but in the US, you are not entitled to compensation because of these changes. You would probably get some miles into your frequent flyer account or some travel credit if you complained, but in the US, you are only entitled to the difference in fare, for example, if you are downgraded. I think the options have all been explained. Edited July 23 by 6rugrats 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted July 23 #19 Share Posted July 23 You might try posting on the Canadian Cruisers board to get specific Westjet related information. Maybe someone there has experience with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #20 Share Posted July 23 2 hours ago, 6rugrats said: You can't have everything. Sometimes, travel does not work out the way you want, and it's frustrating. Yes, last-minute tickets are expensive. Yes, all airlines have schedule and equipment changes; you are always free to cancel with a full refund or you can try to find flights that work better for you and request that you be placed on those flights. I don't know Canadian law, but in the US, you are not entitled to compensation because of these changes. You would probably get some miles into your frequent flyer account or some travel credit if you complained, but in the US, you are only entitled to the difference in fare, for example, if you are downgraded. I think the options have all been explained. Did you not just completely contradict yourself ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted July 23 #21 Share Posted July 23 3 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said: Did you not just completely contradict yourself ? A refund of a fare difference is different from compensation. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 23 Author #22 Share Posted July 23 6 hours ago, *Miss G* said: You might try posting on the Canadian Cruisers board to get specific Westjet related information. Maybe someone there has experience with this. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruzer Posted July 23 #23 Share Posted July 23 Our experience on American Airlines was that we got a refund for the fare difference due to no crew available to work the flight after a major weather event the previous day. So what air line and what reason matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sverigecruiser Posted July 24 #24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/12/2024 at 1:59 AM, LobsterStalker said: I amwondering if anyone has experience having booked A higher class ticket (First/Business/Premium) and then you miss a connection or flight is cancelled or whatever . At that point obviously you are most certainly not going to luck your way into another first class seat as you scramble to get something rescheduled to get you to your destination . Most of the times you will get a seat in the higher class you have paid for on the next departing flight. Not always but most of the times. I know that wasn't your question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6rugrats Posted July 24 #25 Share Posted July 24 (edited) 21 hours ago, LobsterStalker said: Did you not just completely contradict yourself ? No. But hopefully, you feel better after writing this. Compensation is receiving something, usually for an inconvenience. Receiving a refund of the fare difference if you are downgraded is not compensation, Edited July 24 by 6rugrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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