What to Do If You're Downgraded on a Flight-and How to Make Sure You're Compensated

"One minute you're dreaming of Champagne and extra legroom; the next, you're back in coach, wedged into a middle seat and wondering what went wrong. Nothing kills the vacation vibes faster than finding out you've been downgraded on your flight. Getting downgraded is never fun, but it's also relatively uncommon, says Tiffany Funk, co-founder of Point.me. Still, in the rare case a downgrade does happen, there's usually a good reason-and knowing your rights can make all the difference in how you handle it."

"While you don't necessarily need to accept a downgrade, declining one can mean waiting days for another premium seat to become available-and Funk can attest to this firsthand. "I've had flights canceled where the next available business-class seat was more than three days later," she says. If you do accept a downgrade, compensation should follow. However, in the United States, there are no federal guidelines that dictate how much or when airlines must reimburse passengers, which makes things murky."

Flight downgrades are relatively uncommon but can happen for operational reasons. Passengers can decline a downgrade, but declining may require waiting multiple days for another premium seat. Accepting a downgrade should trigger compensation, typically a refund of the fare difference, and may include bonus miles, travel credits, or upgrade vouchers. The United States lacks federal rules on the timing or amount of reimbursement, so remedies often depend on the airline's contract of carriage. Passengers who paid for a service that is not delivered deserve reimbursement, though full refunds are not generally required for downgrades.

Read at Travel + Leisure