Observations on Buy Up to F Offers
Last night I reviewed my upcoming trips on AA just to make sure everything looked ok. On every reservation a buy up offer popped up. A few were way out of my ballpark, over $1400 for MIA/SFO, $1081 each way for MIA/PHX. However, some were more than reasonable. These all are off low priced Main Cabin fares.
MIA/PIT ($311, which I declined because the F ratio on an E175 is fairly high, a Tuesday evening flight)
PIT/DCA/MIA ($260, I accepted mostly for the DCA/MIA leg)
MIA/RDU, RDU/MIA ($144 each way, accepted)
DCA/MIA ($229, accepted)
I find these buy up offers well more than reasonable and worth not playing the upgrade lottery,.which as a PP I usually end up losing even for non peak business travel days and times.
Is this growing evidence that the complimentary upgrade is ultimately going away or will normally be limited to high spend EXP/CKs (a fair number which buy premium anyway)? Also, are these offers individual? Would someone at a different elite level or even a general/non member see the same offer for the same flights? I'd have to wonder on these more affordable upfares offers what the acceptance rate is? Seems as though AA is becoming like DL in aggressively monetizing the premium cabin.