Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
As Espen36 says, AA uses very advanced (and very proprietary) software to "predict" how many seats to release into which inventories - based on predictive analytics. Anecdotal evidence from FT members would indicate upgrades not secured when (if) the initial inventory is available may come much closer to departure than previously.
jefferyt, are you not using tools like ExpertFlyer to search for the proper booking inventory and positively booking your upgrades? Is it that you buy last minute, after initial upgrade inventory offerings or ?