Had a weird and frustrating experience today. I was boarding my Alaska flight and was told at the gate that I’d been downgraded from first class.
I asked about a refund since I paid more for the first class seat. Gate agent said no refund because I booked into U class and that “the seat isn’t guaranteed,” and offered some miles instead. That didn’t sit right with me. When I booked, the U class fare was about $170 more than economy and I was confirmed in first at booking, not waitlisted.
So now I’m trying to understand what’s actually correct here. If you pay extra and are confirmed in first class, are you really not entitled to a fare difference refund if you’re involuntarily downgraded? Has anyone successfully gotten money back in this situation?
Also curious for the future. Is this less likely to happen if you use an upgrade certificate instead, or if you buy an upgrade after booking rather than booking straight into U class? Trying to figure out how to avoid this happening again.
Would appreciate any real world experience with this.
0