Folks, I just got an email with a survey and went ahead and clicked through it. Lots of apparently very well thought out questions but unfortunately my takeaway is that some of the following are being considered fairly seriously:
(1) consider Y-->MCE an "upgrade" in some form or fashion
(2) rein in unlimited comp upgrades for EXP
(3) add some sort of confirmable-at-booking last-seat-available upgrade system (which would be good, but maybe not if it replaced regular upgrades entirely).
(4) extending TOD or discounted miles upgrade offers to elites after booking
The survey asked about my OAL status and asked a lot of questions about my United experience (including their TOD offers).
I've captured and replicated some of the salient questions below, numbered 1-6 to facilitate discussion (but these were out of 20+ questions total). For background, I'm EXP, DCA-based, ~25k EQD and ~150 EQS in last 12 months.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Edited to add my comments on some of the survey questions:
Unfortunately, the biggest letdown was that the survey had no free-response area at all. On
#1 , I would have clarified that I prefer MCE aisle to PE middle, but PE middle to MCE window (for bathroom access on int'l longhaul, not that I would willingly fly one on AA anyhow!)
On
#2 , my rationale was that I value the 7 items, in order, at approximately the following dollar amounts, based on what I would pay to secure the benefit upfront for a year (and based on my current segment-heavy travel pattern where I cleared ~100 comp domestic upgrades last year): (1) $3000, (2) $800, (3) $400, whoops, meant to switch this with
#4 , (4) $500, (5) $120, (6) $75, (7) $1.
On
#4 , I would change my mind if I started flying more transcons and fewer regionals. On my transcons last year, I bought discounted business and easily used BXP1s to clear into 3-class F. Having the option for 10 of those would be useful, but no way I would presently give up UDUs for it.
On
#5 , I must say that it cuts both ways. I had some mid-con on UA and saw myself drop to 4th on the upgrade list as the number of open seats dwindled to 2. The TOD upgrade price was high at first, maybe $400, but once it got to within 45 or 60 minutes of scheduled departure (I don't recall, but before any upgrades cleared), it dropped down to a reasonable $150. I bought, and the top person on the upgrade list cleared, and that was it. Because I had near-certainty that I wouldn't get the free upgrade (I suppose folks could have missed their flight), I didn't hesitate to buy as
#4 on the list. But if I were
#2 on the list, I sure wouldn't have been happy, unless I happened to check the upgrade display at the gate in time to buy up into the last remaining seat. That's a monetization game that, on the whole, would make AA more money at little cost (after all, if UA does it, what's the harm in AA's doing it?) but that would totally change the battlefield upgrade game.