US Airways to Belize
 

Just found out yesterday that the First Class airline tickets that we paid for in February for travel to Belize in June will not be honored from Detroit to Charlotte as they downgraded the plane and do not have first class. They refused to offer us any credit/compensation to travel coach when we paid for First Class. Anyone else have this happen?

Are you still getting First Class from Charlotte to Belize?

Yes, we understand that is still offered. However, we are unsure if we can use priority check in and priority luggage check at Detroit which saves us
a huge amount of time. In fact, without priority luggage and being first off the plane to clear customs/immigration last Feb., we would have missed our connection to Placencia, resulting in an extra 1.5 hours in Belize City airport. These are the extras we pay for in 1st class,
not just a few free drinks.

My experience with FC/BC and 'priority' luggage is that it doesn't make a difference as to when it gets to the luggage carousel. ((*))

I gotta tell you - I'd be screaming bloody murder for a refund or credit. (Frankly, I'd want the refund). Hell, you paid for first class, and it's discontinued. You are certainly entitled to a refund of the difference between 1st class and economy. And a strongly worded letter will certainly get that done.

However, if you are saying that you want compensation for the 'inconvenience' of traveling coach, forgive me, but that's absurd.

I would be pretty .....off,too. I think you ought to check flytalk and see if any of those posters have run into this before. I have being flying USAIR for years and never had this kind of experience. Not likely to make for high customer service ratings.

Just wanted the difference between coach and first class for that leg of the journey. They said that because of the price we paid last Feb for the tickets and current price (higher of course) they would not credit any difference. They would, however, refund 100% of what we originally paid.
But, to rebook at current prices, we would lose.
Seems like a lose/lose proposition.
They will however, give us seats 1 a and b so that we can be first off the plane...whooppee!

did you write a letter about this? Or just speak with someone on the phone? I still find it hard to believe that a well worded letter, explaining that the airline had the benefit of having your money since last Feb, that you paid for 1st class and cannot get it, and how very disappointed you are that blah, blah blah - well, I still think that would get you a deserved refund of the difference between the Feb 1st class price and the Feb coach class price. If you are looking for more than that - that's unrealistic. But I'd be writing that letter.

Thanks for your input. I did call Customer Relations Dept yesterday and it looks like I may get that credit after all. The gentleman in that dept felt we had a valid request and has forwarded it to their "revenue" department. They will contact me within 3 business days. I will post when I get that response.

I'm glad and I hope it works out - but phone calls are NEVER as effective as letters. So if in three days they turn you down again, I'd be writing a nicely worded letter to the exective office.