An involuntary downgrade is being carried in a lower class than booked, for instance when business class is oversold or the aircraft was swapped.
An involuntary downgrade is being carried in a lower class than booked, for instance when business class is oversold or the aircraft was swapped.
Also called: Seat downgrade.
How it works#
Under EU law part of the ticket price is then reimbursed, scaled by flight distance, regardless of whether the airline was at fault for the swap. The claim relates to the price of the affected sector. The benefits of the higher class fall away too, which has knock-on effects for baggage allowance and seat selection.
Not to be confused with#
An involuntary downgrade is not the same as denied boarding: in a downgrade the passenger travels, just in a worse cabin.
In German#
The German term is Herabstufung. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Flight compensation: Flight compensation is a flat statutory payment owed by the airline for cancellation, long delay or denied boarding, scaled by flight distance.
- Operational upgrade: An operational upgrade is a move to a higher cabin made by the airline for its own reasons, because the booked cabin is oversold or the aircraft changed.
- Cabin class: Cabin class is the physical section of an aircraft, economy, premium economy, business or first, each with its own seating and service.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onRights and disruption.