My work purchased a Basic Economy ticket for me to travel to/from a gig and provided me with the confirmation number.
After receiving the booking, I went ahead and paid to upgrade my seats to Main Cabin Extra and also paid for baggage ($90) and seat upgrades ($246) across all four flights. My goal was to improve my boarding position so I would not have to check a musical instrument.
When I contacted American Airlines today, I was told that these charges are non-refundable and that I am out of luck. The original ticket was booked by my employer about a week ago.
I was under the impression that Basic Economy still allowed the purchase of priority boarding or upgrades for an additional fee. Even on Google Flights, it shows that Basic Economy passengers can purchase priority boarding.
Do I have any realistic recourse to recover the money spent on seat upgrades and baggage fees, or are these charges typically final once purchased?
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