Hi,

I know this has been covered ad nauseum, but I wanted to share my little story and offer AA a suggestion. I was on AA 49 from CDG to DFW 10 days ago. That morning, before my flight, I checked AA.com and saw that there were 15 open seats in Biz. While checking in I asked if I could use miles to upgrade, AA said sure 25k plus $75.

I declined as I had a seat in the exit row of a 777 and didn't feel that a middle seat in Biz was worth that much more than the exit row. The $75 fee really annoyed me. I will reluctantly pay the fee if I reserve an upgrade weeks or days in advance, but to charge an additional expedite fee for a seat that would end up being empty is stupid of AA. They should allow passengers to upgrade using only miles on the same day of service. If you really need the upgrade and want to reserve a seat, pay the fee. If you want a 'standby' upgrade, no fee. I would have gladly given up my 25k for biz, but not the additional cash. Call me cheap but miles are like monopoly money to me.

Lastly, I know that I should have ordered some certificates a long time ago and I know the rules, but AA should offer some flexibility to their passengers, esp. if the seat ends up empty. FWIW, I am a Platinum member if it makes any difference.

Neil