A premium passenger has torn Air France a new one after being told she was being downgraded on her flight home.
An Air France customer flying home to the UK from Brazil via France looks unlikely to ever fly Air France ever again.
Taking to the Sophisticated Surveillance Tool (or revolutionary social media platform, whichever way you see it) TikTok, TikTok user @dwell_nicely shared her thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the incident in a minute long piece to camera.
“I’m in Rio di Janeiro airport at the moment and I’m trying so hard not to cry. We paid for premium seats because we’re flying with a baby and my husband is 6’4″. We paid 12 thousand dollars, which we so can’t afford and we went to check in and they tell us, ‘Oh sorry we don’t have any premium seats left you’ll have to sit in economy.'”
WATCH: Traveller Rages After Being Downgraded
“I don’t normally have any problem sitting in economy if I’m travelling by myself, but – firstly – I paid 12 thousand dollars so that I wouldn’t have to sit in economy with my baby on my lap for a 17-hour flight (or 15 hours I don’t know it’s really f***ing long), my husband doesn’t even fit in the f***ing economy seat [and] we have to do 3 flights today because we’re flying back to London… we paid premium for both of them… we’re in economy for both of them.”
“F*** you Air France, really.”
TikTok user @dwell_nicely
TikTok wasn’t super sympathetic, with one user writing: “I’m pretty sure you’ll get your money back.” Another wrote: “Why would you pay $12000 if you couldn’t afford it? Honestly.”
There was a little bit of empathy from some other users, however, with one saying they are sorry to hear about the experience and lending a word of advice: “Compensation…. Dont [sic] accept any vouchers forfeited travel never never, never!!!!!!! I m so sorry your going through this.”
Others questioned her maths, saying there’s no way the seats were that expensive.
In a follow-up video @dwell_nicely explains the situation further, explaining that the flight was actually 10 hours, not 15, and saying the following in regards to the price: “12k was for the 3 seats + baby. They gave us the bassinet in the end so wouldn’t refund but suggested €50 compensation for the broken seat.”
As for how being downgraded works, there does tend to be a priority list, with those who have paid for their flight using points being at the top of it. Next on the chopping block are those who paid with cash, but who aren’t super loyal members of the airline.
Airlines don’t typically overbook premium cabins, so if you’ve been booted from business, your flight route has likely been reassigned a jet with a smaller capacity (due to weather, or some other unplanned contingency).
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