Originally Posted by
Fitch7600
To clarify a couple of questions, I was confirmed at the AC, issued a boarding pass for the earlier flight, and placed on the upgrade list, where I was first with one unsold seat. I did not pay a change fee, so in that regard I was receiving a courtesy.
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Have things changed? Same Day Standby is free for EXPs, correct? So showing up for an earlier flight should not have invoked a fee.
From your explanation, you should have been upgraded. If it was recent enough, I'd suggest contacting AA and let them know. There may have been a valid reason for the non-rev to get the seat, but if the GA was doing a friend a favor, that's not so good.