Originally Posted by
Microwave
Sometimes people are reaccommodated in F, sometimes they are not. I've read reports from others indicating that they were indeed told that Instant Upgrade tickets can be reaccommodated in Y with no accompanying refund. So maybe "not the case for me" would have been a more factual way for you to state it.
When flying DFW-RDU last year on a YUP, my connection to DFW was delayed so I missed my DFW-RDU. (It was AA's mechanical, not weather related.) I went to the AC, and while the AAngels were extremely helpful, I had no choice but a Y seat as F was full. I was told by the AAngel that "you will automatically get a credit for the upgrade that you didn't get."
Uh, no. After repeated calls to CS and AAdvantage Gold desk, and even after talking to an EXP supervisor who said, "Yeah, you should get some sort of compensation," the official word from on high was "nope."
As a YUP was at least $500 more expensive than a deep discount Y fare that I could have purchased at the time of the reservation, I felt ripped off. So, I applied "squeaky wheel" strategy, and after several polite but insistent letters/emails to CS, I was given a $100 voucher and 10,000 miles.
It was an interesting result since all I was asking for was the upgrade I never received. I would have been happy with 15,000 miles to do a miles upgrade on a future flight, and stated thus in my letters/emails. I used the $500 cost difference to illustrate the point that offering a YUP but not GUARANTEEING the upgrade was a bit disingenuous on AA's part. In my mind, I BOUGHT the upgrade, and I think a reasonable interpreter (ie, small claims court) would agree.
So, I will NEVER buy a YUP again. Much better to buy 15,000 miles (or whatever for international) and do a miles upgrade if the seats are available. Or just use miles you accumulate. Or Business Special as the OP is considering. Because official AA policy per several letters I received is a YUP is NOT guaranteed.