Issue with BA on an AA ticket...

[BensAdventures]

On Saturday night my boss and I started a DONE4 from JNB and on arriving at JNB, we were told that our flight (we were to be on BA54 which was a AA codeshare) had been cancelled and that we were supposed to be notified that we would now be on BA 56 (leaving 80 mins earlier). Fortunately we had a dream run to the airport, and got their just in time to check-in.

The problem then was that I was allocated a J seat, my boss wasn't, but he was assured he'd be fine, and just go to the gate where he'll be allocated a J seat. Well I got on the plane, offered to wait with my boss, he declined that, I sat down, and when I saw him at LHR, I found he'd been downgraded to BA's shocking PE! If I'd known, I would have offered to swap, he is the boss after all...

So the question know is this. We booked through AA, but BA messed up (not the exact word I was thinking). Apparently there there 4-5 other J passengers who refused to board as they were seated in Y or PE. Who do we complain too? Is compensation likely?

Thanks!

 

[Mwenenzi]

*ONE*'s have no reduction of the fare for sectors in lower class. Is common with AONE* & DONE* to fly in a lower class.
But AA being AA may give him a bunch of AA miles

 

[serfty]

Being downgraded so and BA being an EU carrier, your boss may be entitled to 75% of the "price of the ticket (sic)".

 

[Mwenenzi]

Being downgraded so and BA being an EU carrier, your boss may be entitled to 75% of the "price of the ticket (sic)".

Which for a 1 segment of ?? segment *ONE* is $??? That is the problem.
You could try for 75% of published one way fare, but I would not be hopeful.

 

[serfty]

*ONE*'s have no reduction of the fare for sectors in lower class. Is common with AONE* & DONE* to fly in a lower class.
But AA being AA may give him a bunch of AA miles

That's only if a down grade is accepted at the time of booking/ticketing.

This is not the case here.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Did BA not offer anything at all at the gate? Or did they say, 'just cop it and see ya later'.

 

[Mwenenzi]

But he was rebooked onto a new flight number, as is allowed in *ONE* fares
Did the boarding pass have the Y+ seat number ?
The "but he was assured he'd be fine," is quick way by BA staff to fob off a passenger at the end of boarding

 

[serfty]

But he was rebooked onto a new flight number, as is allowed in *ONE* fares
Did the boarding pass have the Y+ seat number ?...

not relevant:

It the orginal ticketing that is important - I'd assume D class:

Article 10 Upgrading and downgrading (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004)


1. If an operating air carrier places a passenger in a class higher than that for which the ticket was purchased, it may not request any supplementary payment.
2. If an operating air carrier places a passenger in a class lower than that for which the ticket was purchased, it shall within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), reimburse
(a) 30 % of the price of the ticket for all flights of 1500 kilometres or less, or (b) 50 % of the price of the ticket for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres, except flights between the European territory of the Member States and the French overseas departments, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres, or (c) 75 % of the price of the ticket for all flights not falling under (a) or (b), including flights between the European territory of the Member States and the French overseas departments.

 

[BensAdventures]

Did BA not offer anything at all at the gate? Or did they say, 'just cop it and see ya later'.

It was a disaster at the gate, apparently there were almost punches thrown by some! At the gate they did say they'd should offer a partial refund, but let's see. The bigger issue I see is that our flight was cancelled much earlier in the day, and we were not notified. If we arrived 2.5 hours before our scheduled flight, we would have been stranded in JNB for another night, then missed our meetings in London! On board apparently my boss was treated well, but he wasn't in the mood for that!

 

[BensAdventures]

not relevant:

It the orginal ticketing that is important - I'd assume D class:

Thanks Sefty, yes D Class.