Gary Leff covering this today-- this really is quite a situation, until/unless it's addressed by AAdv:
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....ly-disappears/
A couple of months ago I wrote that the update American is doing to its booking classes in order to accommodate the sale of their new international premium economy product (which needs its own classes) for travel starting January 11 would mean the end of confirmed upgrade space as we know it.
That seems to be what’s happened...