The best trips often start with a jackpot at the gate, when your name is called and suddenly you’re upgraded to business class. The opposite, however, can also happen: instead of turning left as you board, you’re directed right, despite holding a premium ticket.
Though neither happens often, both do occur. Just as airlines have the right to upgrade you, they can also downgrade you.
Comedian Jim Breuer recently discovered this unpleasant reality when he was downgraded not one, but two classes, from first to economy, on an American Airlines flight from Honolulu to Florida. In a video published afterwards, Breuer explained that he had bought the first-class ticket because he was about to embark on a three-month comedy tour and wanted to make sure he could rest during the journey.
When he arrived at the airport, however, he was told that his seat had been reassigned and that a crew member had been given his premium seat.
“Downgrades are part and parcel of flying these days”, airline industry commentator Mike Arnot told Condé Nast Traveler. “As heartbreaking as they are for travellers, for most it’s simply a bummer rather than a deal-breaker.”
When purchasing a ticket, virtually every commercial airline includes a Contract of carriage, the lengthy terms and conditions that almost no one reads, which states that the seats purchased cannot always be guaranteed.
There are several reasons why an airline might reclaim your seat and downgrade you. One common cause is a last-minute aircraft change; if the replacement aircraft has fewer premium seats, some passengers may have to move to a lower cabin. This can also occur when travellers from a cancelled flight are rebooked, and the premium cabin becomes overbooked. Mechanical issues may also be a factor, for example, if a seat is broken or cannot be returned to the upright position required for take-off and landing.
I’m just absolutely livid at @AmericanAir. I booked a first class ticket to Dallas weeks ago and when I arrived at the airport today and was at the gate, waiting to board, they called my name and after waiting in a long line, they told me that my seat had been taken away because…
— Alana Stewart (@AlanaKStewart) February 1, 2025
Operational needs can also take priority, as in Breuer’s case. Airlines must comply with strict flight time limitations, and pilots and crew are often assigned premium seats on long-haul routes to ensure they get enough rest before operating the next flight.
There are, nevertheless, a few ways to reduce the chances of it happening. Loyalty still counts in aviation: frequent flyers with elite status are generally less likely to be downgraded. And airline, Arnot notes, “may be more generous with their premium passengers and frequent customers”.
Another tip is to choose an earlier flight, before delays and disruptions cascade through the network and force airlines to reshuffle passengers. An early check-in also helps. While it is largely out of your control, booking a seat on a larger aircraft gives travellers more flexibility, as these planes offer greater seat options.
The good news is that, if it does happen, airlines are legally required to compensate passengers in many jurisdictions.
In the United States, for example, the Department of Transportation states that airlines must refund the difference between the fare paid and the value of the seat actually received if a passenger is downgraded involuntarily but still travels on the flight.
In the United Kingdom and across the European Union, UK261 and EU261 regulations entitle travellers to a partial refund based on flight distance if they are downgraded. This starts at 30% of the ticket price for flights of up to 1,500 km, rising to 50% for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km and 75% for flights of more than 3,500 km.
