Chapter 9 - ERIC DALTON’S REPORTThe airline’s first written explanation arrived four days later.
An aircraft substitution had reduced the number of usable premium seats because one first-class seat had a broken restraint mechanism and could not be occupied.
Richard Cole, a top-tier customer misconnected from another flight.
Operations instructed the gate to manage premium reaccommodation according to policy.
Dalton wrote that he selected us because:
Our fares appeared in a lower priority booking class.
We were traveling together.
A two-seat block in economy could keep father and child together.
Moving a single passenger elsewhere would have separated another family.
On paper, almost rational.
Then the airline found a problem.
Our tickets were not the lowest-priority premium tickets.
They were fully confirmed revenue tickets issued after a documented exchange.
Dalton had read an old fare-history code from Rebecca’s original booking and assumed ours were complimentary upgrades.
They were not.
Another problem:
Policy required volunteers and compensation procedures before involuntary cabin downgrades absent safety necessity.
Dalton had skipped that step.
And one more:
There had been no operational need to move Maya.
Only one premium seat needed resolving.
Why did he order both of us back?
His report said:
“To preserve the minor/father seating unit.”
May you like
That sounded helpful.
Until you remembered he had created the separation problem himself.
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