When an aviation vlogger claims he was “downgraded, scammed, and censored” by a national carrier, the story deserves more than clicks. It deserves clarity.

6 Questions For Josh Cahill About Air Cote d’Ivoire “Downgrade”

Aviation vlogger Aljoscha Wendholt, popularly known as Josh Cahill, is once again (what a surprise!) at the center of controversy over his latest airline review, this time claiming that Air Cote d’Ivoire scammed him.

First, here’s a summary of what transpired:

• Josh Cahill reported that on the inaugural Air Cote d’Ivoire flight from Paris (CDG) to Abidjan (ABJ), he held a business class ticket but was told at check-in that his reservation was actually booked in economy class.
• He booked his ticket on booking.com at a price point that was significantly cheaper than business class fares booked via any other booking source
• According to Cahill, the airport station manager advised him that his business class seat had been cancelled, and that he would need to pay approximately $1,500 to upgrade at the counter.
• Cahill ultimately flew in business class, stating that he was “upgraded onboard,” but still claimed he was scammed and that the “shakedown” for $1,500 was unjustified
• A member of parliament in Cote d’Ivoire publicly claimed the booking had originally been issued in economy, and that the airline later upgraded him despite not having sold him a business class seat.
• The incident escalated into public accusations, questions over mispriced third-party fares, and a back-and-forth over whether a mistake, miscommunication, or mischaracterization occurred.
• As it stands, the key facts — who ticketed what, who communicated what, and when — remain disputed or incompletely documented.

Alain Lobognon, who is a member of Parliament in Côte d’Ivoire, posted the following on X:

As a proud Ivorian, I cannot stay silent when I see someone trying to tarnish the reputation of Air Côte d’Ivoire, a national symbol of our country’s progress, ambition, and independence in the skies. Let me remind you of the facts:

1. You booked your ticket through Booking.com, not directly with Air Côte d’Ivoire. A technical error on their platform displayed a business class fare that was never actually issued by our airline.

2. Yet, despite this, Air Côte d’Ivoire went above and beyond : they upgraded you to business class for free the moment the issue was flagged. That’s not negligence, that’s Ivorian hospitality at 30,000 feet.

So why launch a public campaign against a company that treated you with generosity and respect?

Unless, of course, your real goal isn’t fairness, but helping European carriers who are nervous about a proud African airline now competing directly on the Abidjan–Paris route, with our own aircraft, our own crew, and our own vision.

Air Côte d’Ivoire isn’t just an airline. It’s Côte d’Ivoire taking flight. It’s proof that we can build world-class service, connect our diaspora, and stand tall on the global stage.

I’m proud to see my country operate long-haul flights between Abidjan and Paris. I’m proud of our pilots, our cabin crew, our engineers. And I’m especially proud that, even in the face of a third-party mistake, we chose excellence over excuses.

Constructive criticism? Always welcome.
But bad faith attacks on a national achievement? Not on my watch.

Six Clarifying Questions

I think One Mile At A Time expresses righteous anger over what appears to be duplicity on the part of Cahill, which sadly would fit in with his character. This guy always seems to manufacture controversy:

But before labeling Cahill an unethical slimebag, I have some questions that I hope he will answer:

1. Did Booking.com display your ticket as confirmed business class at the time of purchase, and was this shown on your original receipt? What alphabetic fare class were you booked into?
2. After booking, did you take the record locator, plug it into the “Manage My Trip” page on the Air Cote d’Ivoire website, and verify you were booked in business class?
3. Before travel, did Booking.com reach out and note that the fare class display was an error and you were actually booked into economy class?
4. Was your original reservation on Booking.com cancelled before your flight?
5. Why do you seem to dismiss the possibility that this was a third-party ticketing error or fare mapping issue rather than airline deception?
6. Would you be willing to share unedited video of your exchange at the counter in Abidjan prior to your flight?

Cahill, who prides himself on saying that he offers honest reviews, owes his viewers these answers…

CONCLUSION

The sad reality of all of this is that no matter the truth, Cahill seems to win here. Ben’s coverage of him brings him more clicks and more cash. Even if he totally manufactured this controversy and wrongly blamed Air Cote d’Ivoire, the controversy itself brings ad revenue. It’s a sad business model, but at least we can see it for what it is. Sure, I write about this for clicks too, but also because I am genuinely am offended by what appears to be another act of duplicity and deception on the part of Cahill…because it does threaten to undermine the reputation of the entire field of aviation bloggers/vloggers. Not every blogger is a shill for the carriers or a self-serving rapscallion. But I’ll wait for him to answer these questions and hope that, whether it is me, Ben, Josh, or anyone else, you will always exercise due diligence and critical thinking when reading anything at all…

image: Air Cote d’Ivoire // Hat Tip: View From The Wing