Originally Posted by
ijgordon
AA just does not handle standby on premium cabin tickets reasonably, IMO.
It doesn't make sense to me to prioritize upgrades over standbys. I understand OP's frustration, although they could easily ban standby on award tickets, so be careful what you wish for.
I agree but it's also inconsistently applied. I had a trip last year where one gate agent told me they would upgrade everybody on the list before processing the standby list, even if someone was standing by premium only (of course that gate agent also thought I was an employee standing by at first and not a revenue passenger). I rolled to the next flight where that gate agent told me she would process me first, over the upgrade list. Two flights to the same destination on the same ticket no less. Two different methods of processing the upgrade and standby lists.