Flight passengers happen to face lots of issues at the airport that result in stress, frustration, and even money loss. One such issue is airline downgrades, where passengers are involuntarily moved to a lower class than they originally booked, for example, being downgraded from business class to economy. In the article, we will explain what a flight downgrade is, what air passenger rights you have in case of it, and how to claim your flight downgrade compensation.
Were you downgraded to a lower class? You’re entitled to partial refund — up to 75% of your ticket price
What Is an Involuntary Downgrade
An involuntary downgrade occurs when an airline places a passenger in a lower class of service than what they originally booked and paid for, without the passenger’s consent. Oftentimes, it is a shift from the first class to business/economy, business to premium economy, and premium economy class to regular economy. Passengers who are involuntarily downgraded are entitled to certain rights and potential compensation under EU and UK regulations.
Yet, it is not a rule of thumb, and passengers can be downgraded to any class. It is definitely not exciting news. Especially if the airline informs you at the last moment, and you have no time to figure out what to do at ease.
As for the common reasons for involuntary downgrade, there are a few that mostly occur:
- Oversold seats;
- Wider fare class segmentation results in more seat downgrades;
- Change of the plane when the original one won’t fly due to technical maintenance;
- The crew members need seats to rest.
Most passengers are unaware of their rights when involuntarily downgraded, which often leads to missed compensation opportunities. Additionally, changes to a scheduled flight, such as delays or aircraft swaps, can also result in downgrades.
Involuntary downgrades can sometimes occur alongside denied boarding situations, especially on oversold flights.
Passenger Rights in Case of Involuntary Downgrade
People should be well-informed about all their rights in terms of the EU 261 regulation when the involuntary downgrade occurs. Namely, these are the things every passenger can expect to receive from the airline company:
- You can expect to receive partial reimbursement between 30 and 75%, based on the flight distance;
- Compensation deals with the aggrieved flight segment and not the entire trip;
- Airline companies must pay compensation for seven days;
- You have a right to refuse a downgrade and request a full refund/re-routing if you decide not to travel.
Keep in mind that, according to the EU 261 regulation, passengers cannot expect to receive extra compensation in cases of cancellations or delays.
Flight Downgrade Compensation
As we noted above, the sum of the partial downgrade flight compensation fully depends on your flight’s distance. Check out the table below to get more details as for the partial reimbursement amount you can get:
| Distance of Flight | Compensation |
| Up to 1,500 km | 30% of ticket price |
| More than 1,500 km | 50% of ticket price |
| More than 3,500 km | 75% of ticket price |
If only one segment of your journey, such as the return flight, is downgraded, compensation is calculated based on the downgraded segment’s flight distance. Compensation for downgrades is determined differently than for flight delays, where eligibility and amounts are also based on flight distance but follow separate rules.
Airlines are required to pay these compensation amounts according to EU and UK regulations. To support your compensation claim, make sure to keep your boarding pass and flight details as proof of your travel circumstances.
Which Flights Are Covered by EU261?
The rules listed in the EU 261 state that you are eligible for reimbursement if only you travel with an EU airline or depart from an EU airport. These rules also apply to any of the airline companies based in Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.
Here is a table to have a better understanding of which flights are covered by the EU 261 regulation. Note that these protections apply to flights within the EU:
| Itinerary | EU Air Carrier | Non-EU Air Carrier |
| From inside the EU to inside the EU | ✅ Covered | ✅ Covered |
| From inside the EU to outside the EU | ✅ Covered | ✅ Covered |
| From outside the EU to inside the EU | ✅ Covered | ❌ Not Covered |
| From outside the EU to outside the EU | ❌ Not Covered | ❌ Not Covered |
How to Claim Compensation
Claiming reimbursement may look like a straightforward procedure. However, the truth is that the entire procedure can turn out to be time-consuming and quite challenging due to diverse requirements and critical documentation.
Luckily, we will gladly assist you throughout the whole compensation claiming process. Here is how to take action:
- Fill out the form: There is nothing hard for this step – our form is very straightforward. Make sure, however, that you have all the required documents to attach them as you fill in the form. The documents you need include your flight number and date, contact data, and all the details regarding your flight downgrade issue.
- Get assistance from professionals: After you complete the form correctly, one of our staff members will get acquainted with the case. Importantly, our team consists of experts in passenger rights and the European Union law. Certain cases are rather complicated, and you may need legal help — don’t worry, as we cooperate with lawyers specialized in the field of flight passenger rights. They will take the whole procedure under control and inform you of any news that is very convenient. Note that we rely on the No-win, no-fee rule, meaning you won’t pay anything unless the outcome is your case’s successful resolution.
FAQ
A flight downgrade refers to a situation where the airline company reassigns a flight passenger to a class lower than the originally booked one.
The first thing to do is to keep all the required documentation you can use for further flight downgrade compensation. You can do everything on your own; however, it can take a lot of time and be stressful. Another option for you is to ask for assistance from professionals specializing in flight passengers’ rights.
As per the EU 261 regulation, passengers are eligible for partial compensation of between 30 and 75% (the amount depends on the distance of your flight).