AA might take your money for first class, give you economy, no refund!

LINK


New policy allows American Airlines to downgrade first-class tickets to coach — and keep most of your money

NY Post

Air travelers are sure to fly off the handle when they hear this.

American Airlines has quietly instituted a new policy that would allow it to downgrade first-class passengers to economy — but keep the money passengers paid for premium seats, according to a new report by View From The Wing.

First-class tickets are a hard sell in this economy, but even those with the good fortune to afford the best seats are frequently getting the shaft on American.

First class passengers on American Airlines who are automatically downgraded to economy seats — due to aircraft changes or broken seats — now stand to lose 60% of the difference paid between airfares. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

More than other airlines, wrote travel expert Gary Leff, American has become synonymous with poor quality as a plague of broken seats and aircraft swaps has seen frustrated passengers moved from first-class to economy without their consent.

Whereas other airlines might offer compensation for such an inconvenience, American is taking the opposite approach with a policy change that promises only “40% of the ticketed fare on the affected segment.”

In some cases, this could translate to receiving less than half of the difference paid between first class and economy.

This means a downgrade from a $1,050 first class ticket to a $200 coach ticket would result in a $420 refund, rather than the $850 different between the two airfares.