The present invention relates to a router (e.g., intermediate router) and a method that queues and services an upgraded/downgraded packet and a plurality of other packets all of which are part of a flow in a manner that eliminates the reordering of the packets. In one embodiment, the router and method queues and services the packets by handing-off a token from an upgraded/downgraded packet to a head-of-line packet which is forwarded to a downstream router. In another embodiment, the router and method queues and services the packets without handing-off a token from an upgraded/downgraded packet to a head-of-line packet which is forwarded to a downstream router.