Questions and Discussion About F and PC (Premium Class) Upgrades - 2017 and Later
Dec 2, 2016, 11:53 pm
#151
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,838
Missy, I'm at LAX right now for BWI flight and the GA and her supervisor just told me that the new policy distributed systemwide is to sell all first class seats for paid upgrades until 45 minutes prior to departure and then process complimentary elite upgrades. They said this is brand new...
Dec 3, 2016, 6:43 am
#152
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
as that is). My return BOS tomorrow is F6/U0, not entirely happy right now.
Dec 3, 2016, 9:53 am
#153
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
Missy, I'm at LAX right now for BWI flight and the GA and her supervisor just told me that the new policy distributed systemwide is to sell all first class seats for paid upgrades until 45 minutes prior to departure and then process complimentary elite upgrades. They said this is brand new...
Dec 3, 2016, 10:04 am
#154
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,833
Missy, I'm at LAX right now for BWI flight and the GA and her supervisor just told me that the new policy distributed systemwide is to sell all first class seats for paid upgrades until 45 minutes prior to departure and then process complimentary elite upgrades. They said this is brand new...
And definitey explains the complete shuttering of U space. One of my flights in Jan. is still showing U0 with only one F seat out of 12 booked. There has been no U since I booked last June. I think the salad days of U are over, my friends, at least until T-45, and those GGUs are all but worthless.
Dec 3, 2016, 10:47 am
#156
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
There are a few (not very exciting markets I guess) where U space is plentiful - I just booked a trip to Chicago for a wedding and I had my choice of dates and times.
Dec 3, 2016, 10:52 am
#157
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Missy, I'm at LAX right now for BWI flight and the GA and her supervisor just told me that the new policy distributed systemwide is to sell all first class seats for paid upgrades until 45 minutes prior to departure and then process complimentary elite upgrades. They said this is brand new...
***sigh***I am acutely depressed ...
Dec 3, 2016, 10:55 am
#158
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Seattle WA, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, AS Lounge
Posts: 3,478
Dec 3, 2016, 11:04 am
#159
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Seattle WA, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, AS Lounge
Posts: 3,478
I'd be surprised if they stopped offering the GGU's for 2 reasons: First, it helps them fill up F with a little extra revenue on routes like the one you found. Second, for MVPGs like us a K fare allows us to pick PC seats at time of booking. AS probably hopes that this will be enough of a carrot to get us to pay extra for K (or higher) fares even if the hoped for U space never opens up. Without the presence of GGU's we might not book that K fare.
Dec 3, 2016, 11:19 am
#160
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
I think there are two different issues here. First, a policy for GA's to sell upgrades before processing complimentary upgrades. It appears to have been in place for months now or longer. These are outside of U availability (my assumption).
Second is the closing of U space, ostensibly to keep from downgrades/bumps if a swap happens. If U isn't open, there are no upgrades to process prior to gate control. If U does open, upgrades process and we don't see the above scenario (which again, I suspect has been there for some time but has been masked by U opening).
TL, dr: U>0: complimentary upgrades first, then paid upgrades. U0: paid upgrades, then complimentary upgrades.
Dec 3, 2016, 11:32 am
#161
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,373
yep -- my guess is that AS will never set U>1 (except for an occasional U=2 on some 16F 900s) ... when those are gone, U will stay at 0 until T-45 unless their revenue algorithms decide it's ok to offer one more at some random time or another
Dec 3, 2016, 11:41 am
#162
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SEA
Programs: DL Plat, AS MVPG, Bonvoy Plat/LT Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,264
Missy confirmed on 11/28 that this was not official policy (at least as of that day...). Hopefully she is able to locate a shareable policy to lay out the official upgrade order, and hopefully it is not the policy to sell out from under elites. If so, what a mess.
Dec 3, 2016, 11:54 am
#163
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
My PDX-BOS where I applied GGUs at booking last month was (actually still is) list as a 739, but the plane turned out to be a 738.
Dec 3, 2016, 11:56 am
#164
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,373
day-of-flight tail swaps are not at all uncommon ... flight crews are completely interchangeable among -700/-800/-900 equipment; if they downgauge -900 to -800, an additional FA certainly wouldn't detract from the cabin service
Dec 3, 2016, 12:06 pm
#165
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Right. I'm wondering if those flights where U is available are scheduled with 739 though.