Downgraded on a flight? Take these simple but important steps to get your money back

Get bumped?

While being downgraded on a flight is uncommon, it certainly does happen. Someone will book a first-class, business-class or premium economy seat just to be told that they’ve been moved to a lower class.

This could happen for a few reasons, such as a broken seat, a napping pilot, an aircraft change or most commonly, overbooking.

Anton Radchenko, founder and CEO of AirAdvisor, told CNN that he himself has been downgraded twice, both times due to overbooking.

If you’re notified of a seat downgrade several days in advance, Radchenko said that it’s likely due to an equipment or aircraft change or needs of the crew, such as rest spots.

Many passengers don’t know how to address an issue like this.

“I’ve seen firsthand how most passengers are unaware of their rights, which invites a lot of problems,” Radchenko said. “Remember that it’s pretty common for airlines to push back on giving compensation, and they tend to exploit passengers’ lack of awareness.”

When you have advance notice of a seat downgrade, you can contact the airline and ask if you can switch to a different flight with a seat of the same class.

However, most of the time you won’t find out about a downgrade until you get to the airport.

In this case, Radchenko advised to document everything — ask for a written reason for the downgrade, take a photo of your new seat and boarding pass, and save any communication from the airline.

All this documentation will be useful when making a claim for compensation.

Radchenko personally got a $1,000 refund when he was downgraded on a Delta flight from New York to Frankfurt from premium economy to main cabin.

“Delta will provide compensation for customers who were involuntarily downgraded based on original ticketed cabin and the cabin the customer was downgraded to,” Delta told CNN Travel, adding that compensation could be in the form of SkyMiles, eCredits or a fare difference refund.

“Fare difference refunds are given based on what the customer paid for the cabin at time of purchase.”

Delta has an online form where travelers who were involuntarily downgraded can request a refund.

But Radchenko said he struggled to get the refund. As an aviation expert and consumer rights lawyer, he knew to remind the airline that passengers are entitled to a refund of the price difference for involuntary downgrades, according to Department of Transportation (DOT) rules.

Delta was pushing to compensate him with flight vouchers, but Radchenko pushed back until he was offered a cash refund, which he knew he was entitled to.

“You need to be proactive and stand your ground. Stay polite but firm on your demands,” Radchenko advised.

He also suggested contacting the airline as soon as possible.

“The 72-hour window before or after a scheduled flight is crucial because that’s when airlines make key operational decisions, including cancellations, refunds, schedule changes and rebookings by assessing weather, crew availability, technical issues and other possible factors,” he explained.

“Passengers who understand this system can maximize compensation, secure better alternatives, get timely refunds and avoid being stranded.”

Radchenko added that if the downgrade adversely impacted you in any way, it can’t hurt to ask for additional perks or compensation.

“For example, if you booked a premium class because your arthritis demands sitting in an extended and relaxed position, getting downgraded to economy would impact your physical health. So, you have a very valid reason to question this inconvenience and be compensated for it,” he said.