Originally Posted by
bcj1949
2MM PLT......three RT flights over last 30 days (always one connection on AE and then one on mainline each way). No upgrades (zero). ORD connections to either DCA, BOS or LGA admittedly busy routes. Also tried to standby on three connections (one AA and two AE). Never cleared standby list. Wow. I'm also elite on DL and did pretty well on some upgrades a couple months ago. May be a sign of increasingly limited seats on a slowly downsizing AA. I fully understand need to reduce capacity but does make one really concentrate on where to put ones miles to get some benefit out of all this travel.
Reduced capacity, in the long run, will probably mean a reduced number of elites on those routes. If it takes 2 connections to where you need to go, maybe you should investigate what other carriers have. You also mentioned DL "a couple of months ago". My understanding is business travel is lighter in the summer months, and I have always been able to obtain upgrades easier in the summer. If AA isn't working for you, then a rant here isn't going to make it work any better. AA is no more the best airline for everyone any more than democracy is best for everyone.