Originally Posted by
Amil
when they clear someone they used to just have a the checkmark now they just delete them from the list I think only when you're within a few hour of your flight will you stay with the checkmark now. so first is probably just fully booked now.
For AA, passengers who clear prior to airport control are removed from the list. It’s always been that way. There has never been a checkmark, even for those last minute automated upgrades at T-3.5h. UA shows prior upgrades on the list, but I don’t remember AA ever doing that. The checkmark on AA is basically only for gate upgrades, and, yes, the lists are very reliable.
The A321Ts that run on LAX-JFK are premium heavy, so it’s likely there weren’t that many J/F sales on the flights the OP has mentioned and that many of the eligible elites have already been upgraded from Y to J. Those final few pax who haven’t yet been upgraded before getting to the airport are the only ones you’ll see on the list, and they’ll get check marks only if they clear at the gate. At non-peak times/days, these flights can actually be quite easy upgrades even for lower tier AA elites.