Originally Posted by
dayone
This case over the weekend was an IT issue. I don't know about AS, but AA definitely can "hold back" F in the event of a large Y oversale. There is even a Sabre command that "sells" the remaining F inventory, instead of just zeroing out F. That allows the GAs more flexibility in managing the oversale.
In fact, on AA's F/J/Y planes, J inventory can consist of the remaining J + F seats available for sale, so AA can "oversell" J with op ups as the remedy. And I've seen generally what you describe above. Allows the airline to fill up the plane with lower risk of bumping people.