I spent $6,600 on a business class flight — but my seat wouldn’t recline and I got no sleep. How much should I demand from the airline?

But two hours after takeoff, Donna tried to recline her seat. When nothing happened, she pressed the button again. After flagging down a flight attendant, she was told that sometimes seats just “glitch.” A second crew member tried to force the seat down manually, but it caused the seat to become stuck between two positions. As a result, Donna was unable to sit upright properly or recline fully, and there weren’t any unoccupied seats on the flight.

After spending more than 10 hours in an awkward half-leaning position, unable to sleep, Donna complained as soon as the plane landed. She was offered a $200 voucher for her grievances.

Now she’s left wondering whether or not she should push for further compensation, or if she should just cut her losses and move on.

What do airlines typically do in this situation?

Donna’s situation sounds like a clear-cut case of failing to deliver what was advertised. But airline compensation policies can be wildly inconsistent — and sometimes surprisingly limited.

In the U.S., airlines are generally required to transport passengers from Point A to Point B under their “contract of carriage.” Everything else — think: service quality and seat comfort — is often treated as a secondary priority unless a specific regulation has been violated.

That being said, there are some exceptions. For example, if a passenger is downgraded to a lower cabin class, they are typically entitled to at least a partial refund. The U.S. Department of Transportation notes that passengers must be refunded the fare difference when involuntarily downgraded, though airlines have wide discretion in how they calculate that amount.

Donna’s case falls into a bit of a grey area because she was still in business class, even if the seat didn’t work the way it was supposed to. And that small detail makes a big difference.

As aviation attorney and analyst Gary Leff, who runs the site View From the Wing, told the New York Times: “Airlines market a ‘premium product’ and describe the features of what passengers will experience if they purchase a ticket, and then when they don’t deliver on that experience, they fall back on a contract of carriage that says the passenger is only entitled to transportation between two airports and nothing more.”

This means airlines will typically default to goodwill gestures such as vouchers, mileage credits, or small refunds.

There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules that require airlines to hand out cash in situations like Donna’s, which is why two nearly identical mechanical issues can end up with very different outcomes.

Improve your chances of getting real compensation

If Donna (or anyone in a similar situation) wants a stronger case, a few things matter a lot more than people realize.

First, flag the issue immediately after boarding. The longer it goes unreported, the easier it is for airlines to treat it as minor or unverified.

Second, ask for it to be officially documented in the aircraft log. That internal record can carry more weight than a post-trip complaint, especially if you choose to escalate the situation later.

Third, document everything yourself. A short video of a stuck seat, photos of the position, and even note-taking about crew interactions can help establish that the seat wasn’t functioning as sold. Bonus: see if you can get a couple of fellow passenger witnesses to give you their names in case a follow-up investigation is required.