Bumped down to coach when flying on frequent flyer miles?
 

Hello fodorites!

Just a quick question - can you get bumped down to coach when flying biz class if your flight gets cancelled and you have to be rebooked? I was going to plan on flying United to London next summer, as there's a deal I can get if I fly biz class. However, someone mentioned that they've read articles in travel magazines about getting bumped down to coach if you have to be rebooked.

Is there truth in this? It just worried me to pay more money [the deal is buying miles on US Airways] and then ultimately fly coach.

In an irregular operation situation (plane broke down, flight canceled), you can expect the airline to take care of the passengers paying with money before they take care of those paying with miles, especially if you have no elite status.

You can always demand to fly the class you pay for with miles - i.e. business - but doesn't mean it will be on the very next flight. And airlines usually won't rebook you on a different non-partnet airline in such situation, like they would if you pay money for your business class ticket.

BTW, in such situation, you can almost get some miles back, but the airline is unlikely to buy your miles back with cash.

If you have a business class ticket, you'll be re-accommodated in business class provided there's space whether you have an award or paid ticket. When I've had flight cancellations on an business class award ticket, I've always been rebooked into business class on alternate flights. In instances where there were multiple alternatives, I've been presented with a choice of flights (all in business). I could see if the alternate flight(s) had no seats in business class in which case, you'd have to choose between flying in coach or waiting until business seats were available.

<i>And airlines usually won't rebook you on a different non-partnet airline in such situation, like they would if you pay money for your business class ticket.</i>

OK, that's a good point. My experiences have all been re-accommodation on the same carrier or another inter-alliance carrier. Luckily, it's never been an issue for me because there were enough options.

The main point I'm trying to make is that while anything's possible, getting bumped down to coach would be extremely low on my list of concerns.

Well, here's an upside story - several years ago I was on a BA award ticket in Club (business) from Heathrow back to Seattle, the flight was cancelled and I was booked on the next flight out. Didn't pay any attention to the seat until I checked into the lounge, when I realised it wasn't in Club. I asked the person at the desk about it and she looked at me quizzically and said the ticket had been re-issued as World Traveller (economy) - by mistake, as quickly became clear when she looked up my original booking. No seats available in Club - so she put me in First! Lovely!

Forgot to add, I do have elite status, so maybe that made a difference. But the ticket agent was just trying to get me home, checking flights to Phoenix, Vancouver, San Francisco, anywhere western US as well as Seattle, on BA as well as partners, for an empty seat. It was mid-summer, lots of flights were delayed, cancelled, etc, and they were trying to accommodate everyone as best they could.

- Wow...some misconceptions here

I'm glad you all have been re accomodated in Biz class in irregular ops. It all depends id there are SEATS In Biz on an alternate flight. If there are, of course the airline will get you biz seats on an alternate flight. But if Biz class is full, you may have no option but to get back in Coach.

This is only happened to us twice in many years of flying but both happened in the past two years (once where we were in PAID business); and we have been elite on United for several years.

Especially in irregular ops, overseas, with flight capacity reductions even more than they were the past two years it IS a possibility if there are weather or other problems. You WILL get the difference in miles or fare paid back but not much else.

Yes, it could happen but it is not likely. If it does happen you will get a "refund" of the extra miles you paid for Biz over coach. If you can get a good deal, jump on it.

<i>And airlines usually won't rebook you on a different non-partnet airline in such situation, like they would if you pay money for your business class ticket.</i>,

I guess I'm one of the exceptions.

Few years ago I was flying on business class OW award ticket. AA to Toronto, BA to London and Warsaw. The Toronto-London flight was significantly delayed and I missed the BA flight to WAW. BA agent walked me over to LOT desk at Heathrow and booked me on their flight which was leaving in an hour or so.

Last year my routing was JNB-LHR-SFO on VX in UC with miles. The first leg was horribly delayed and so they rebooked us from LHR-SFO in Club on BA.