Originally Posted by
AlwaysAisle
I have more than 20 500-miles upgrade certs. Should I try to use it right now? 500-miles upgrade certs cannot be used on Basic Economy and sure wondering what will be the price difference between Basic Economy and upgradable fare. Yes, I think current lowest fare will become Basic Economy. I doubt Basic Economy will be cheaper than current lowest fare.
I would look at trips similar to what you fly on Delta; do trips like yours have Basic Economy as an option on Delta? I strongly suspect that AA's attitude will be monkey-see, monkey-do on this. If DL doesn't offer Basic Economy fares given the kind of route, advance purchase, and trip duration (Saturday night stay is typically or always required) you fly, I wouldn't worry about it on AA. And even if they do, what's the fare difference? It's typically $30 per round trip on DL. Is that enough to drive your purchase decisions?
If it were me, I would not spend 500-mile upgrade certs any differently due to the anticipation of Basic Economy.