To me the significant point about SWUs is that after slowing tightening the noose on advance SWUs over the years, AA almost totally cut off advance availability this year. For example, through last year JFK/LHR used to have advance SWUs available on a large number of winter flights, often more than one per day, as well as some summer flights. This winter, not a single one all winter long, despite the fact that the flights are wide open in business class as in the past. Similarly, advance SWUs were often available on other LHR city pairs, including BOS, ORD, RDU (very frequently), even DFW and MIA. This year, none. Other European cities were often also available. Now if you're lucky you'll find a couple days here or there on routes noted by others above. For all practical purposes, the OP is right, AA has turned SWUs into standby upgrades. It was not very fair doing that after people made the choice to take SWUs as a reward, but then it's far from the first time AA has treated it's frequent flyers unfairly.