Alaska passenger removed after upgrade; airline offers refund

Eventually, Prescott reached out to Alaska Airlines by phone and spoke with an agent named Heidi who helped arrange another flight departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport later that day. Despite this resolution, Prescott incurred additional expenses and arrived five hours late in Seattle.

Upon returning home, Prescott contacted Alaska Airlines seeking compensation for the inconvenience caused by their mistake. The airline acknowledged its error and offered $150 in future flight credits as compensation. After further discussion, they agreed to cover her $129 Uber fare and increased the credit to $200.

Unhappy with this response, Prescott sought assistance from TPG (The Points Guy). While reviewing the case, it became evident that new U.S. Department of Transportation rules on compensation did not apply as they were intended for cancellations or extended delays rather than canceled tickets.

Alaska Airlines ultimately refunded Prescott's entire round-trip ticket cost of $597 along with covering her Uber expense while allowing her to retain the $200 flight credit for future use.

Prescott expressed satisfaction with this outcome but stated she would avoid accepting surprise upgrades in future travels: "Next time... I'll just keep the seat I booked."

This incident highlights potential issues passengers may face when dealing directly between airlines during code-share flights or unexpected upgrades leading them into unforeseen complications during travel arrangements involving multiple carriers.