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Originally Posted by Upgraded!
Originally Posted by
CO FF
I priced "First Special" itineraries for the following markets, leaving the West Coast Wednesday 9/12 & returning Wednesday 9/19.
LAX-BOS: $1,036 r/t
LAX-EWR: $1,112
LAX-IAD: $1,034
SEA-JFK: $848
SAN-JFK: $1,046
SFO-MIA: $838
Now, the markets that give AC access ("Business Special" on 3-cabin a/c, "First Special" otherwise):
LAX-JFK: $3,430 (in Business, on an "I" fare)
SFO-JFK: $1,214 (a single SFO-JFK flight each way on 763 had a $607 A fare), otherwise, it was $3,394 in "I" fare)
MIA-LAX: Narrowbody: $786 ($393 o/w)
MIA-LAX: 777: $1,347 or $1,690 ($503 o/w in "A", on one of the 2 777 W/B flights, and in the 763 E/B afternoon flight, or $845 in "I" on any 777 E/B)
Clearly, the real winners here are the MIA-LAX passengers who fly the narrowbodies for $800 r/t and still get club access & bonus miles, and anyone lucky enough to have the flexibility to buy the "A" fare 6 weeks out.
But can anyone seriously look at the $3,400 r/t NY-Cali fares and say that those people DON'T deserve perks for that kind of $$?
This spells it out quite nicely, and you are absolutely correct. I wonder whether part of the decision to leave MIA alone, in spite of only two daily (for now) three-class flights is the sheer number of pax who would also be eligible due to connecting int'l travel.
And if sticker upgrades are allowed to use the lounges as well, I'm guessing that you'll see fewer and fewer clear before the gate.
That's an excellent point. It soon will be in AA's interest to delay releasing upgrade inventory until the gate in order to reduce crowding at the lounges.
Wow....for us, talk about an incentive to ensure that the upgrade clears before day of departure (i.e. use miles+copay or SWU if connecting to/from international, making it a worthwhile burn).