Has this issue come up on other travel boards (I'm sure FT is not the only sight devote to trave
)?
If this is a new(?) policy, I would suspect that corporate travel departments would notice fewer exp's being upgraded--I'm assuming that they would notice such things.
It is definitely not new. I remember there was some news about it two years ago about a trial of upgrade process. I am sure if anyone search on WJS may find some answers. And also, I am not AA member and I was offered cash upgrade three years on check-in kiosks (ticketed N class and offered $50 upgrade and was booked into X class). So it is not NEW.