I was scheduled to fly from SFO to ORD and arrived at the gate about 20 minutes before departure. Boarding was still underway, with only two passengers ahead of me in line.
When I reached the gate agent, I was told the flight was full and that I couldn't board. I explained that I had already checked in and had an assigned seat, 12E. After looking into it, the agent informed me that my seat had been reassigned to another passenger. Moments later, the boarding door was closed.
The situation completely disrupted my travel plans. I had a separate ticket from ORD to Seattle, which I had to cancel or modify since I could no longer make it to Chicago. I eventually had to purchase a last-minute ticket from SFO to Seattle at a much higher price. I was stranded at SFO from around 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., and neither airport staff nor AA's phone representatives offered any meaningful assistance, not even something as simple as a lounge pass.
American Airlines later told me that because my ORD-to-Seattle flight was booked separately, they would only provide travel credit related to that portion of the trip. However, I don't want travel credit. Since I was denied boarding despite having a confirmed seat assignment, I'm seeking cash compensation or reimbursement for the additional expenses I incurred.
I've already filed a refund and compensation request through AA's website. Is there anything else I should be doing? Has anyone successfully received cash compensation in a similar situation?
Update:
The ORD-to-Seattle portion of my trip was booked separately for personal reasons. I needed to meet and accompany a friend who has difficulty flying alone, which is why I planned to transit through ORD.
To clarify, I had already checked in and had added my boarding pass to my digital wallet the night before. Also, I mistakenly referenced the wrong number earlier, my assigned seat was 12E, not the gate number I initially mentioned.
Does anyone know how I can confirm whether AA359 was actually full? Someone mentioned there may have been an empty seat on the flight, but they never explained how they verified that information.
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