Originally Posted by
jgee56
Hello,
First post, I tried searching and could not find an answer. My apologies if it's out there. My ADHD has me in a rabbit hole at the moment.
I've been flying American all year, (it's usually Delta) about once a month since Feb and I randomly receive options to upgrade to first when I don't book first at the full rate. I've taken advantage every time, as it's usually cheaper than booking first off the bat. Are these completely random?
I booked a ticket for my wife (who is deployed in Honduras) from TGU to TPA. I booked Business for the return flight to TGU, but main cabin for the outgoing flight to TPA. I was hoping they would pop up on her account like they do mine, but no luck. Any insights on how this works?
There are more detailed anecdotes on this option
here, but basically the offer pops up when AA thinks they can get people to pay, and won't have people buying first outright at a higher cost. You can always call, as if F seats are available they can 'upfare' you, which means you're paying the difference between what you paid for Y and the current F rate (which may be more expensive than F would have been at initial booking.
Do keep in mind that the money put towards these upgrades (in app) do not count towards upgrades, so you might be better off buying first outright if you are going for status.