Just to be clear, nobody has found ANY U space on ANY flight on ANY bookable date, correct?

Not correct at all. Please see my post above yours. I have three RT's ANC-SEA-DEN return. Half used GGU's, half paid F not much above, or even at, the GGU prices. I also have an ANC-SEA-CHS return in early December booked both ways with GGU's. That trip will most likely get cancelled, but I am holding out hope.....

Sorry...I should have been clearer...I was asking if anyone sees any flight that is bookable right now (today) where there is at least one seat in U class. I agree, as recently as last month it was fairly easy to find U space on flights a month or more out, but this is the first time I can remember U space being 100% non-existent. If anyone finds a flight, please report back :)

Incorrect. U space is sporadically available on some flights within 24 hours of departure. Granted, it's redundant for an elite, but usable for a guest.

We have a winner :) Yes, from a quick check there is U space available on some connecting flights today from PDX-LAX. I agree, not helpful for elites, but a relief to see something is actually there.

Just reflecting now almost 2 weeks after posting this and reading everyone's responses... I think I'd actually really like to have a bank of dollars as an elite perk that can only be used toward upfares.

They'd have to make it way more than $250 or $500 (the two data points mentioned in this thread), but imagine something like this...

75K - $4k
Gold - $2k
MVP - $1k

You can only use your bank to upgrade from coach to First (not to buy a ticket outright... so you buy the cheapest coach fare and upfare with your elite bank to the cheapest First ticket).

You could lock in the seat in advance (or they could put some time restriction on it like they do for comp upgrades, e.g. T-5 days for 75Ks) and perhaps still dole out the extra EQMs also.

If AS wants to do something really unique that still fits with what is happening at other U.S. airlines (more people buying paid F), this would seem to be a neat strategy and would certainly "coach" people to pay more often for First.

Or, AS could keep the GGUs and encourage passengers to buy K fares or higher when U isn't available if the application of a GGU came with F COS whether or not you get the upgrade.

James

You can't even use wallet funds for upfares now. That alone would be a nice change.

I'd gladly trade GGUs for no additional program devaluations.

as mentioned upthread, Wallet funds have always been limited to new purchases

Coming from an AA background with SWUs, I've never been fond of the AS GGU scheme and worrying about coach fare classes. With more downtime not traveling during the pandemic, I just found the survey and speculating about potential changes related to the questions to be interesting time-passing actviity.

I'm certainly not actually expecting as a 75K to get a bank of thousands of dollars to use for upfares, but one the rare potential upsides of a stressful worldwide event like COVID-19 is that it can drive change and innovation, so who knows what we could see next from Mileage Plan and other loyalty programs!

Yes, and it's a bizarre constraint that makes no sense, at least to me. But I am sure some financial wizards have figured out it is somehow making them money.

It may be because it is a much more "behind the scenes" complicated transaction. Funds coming from the wallet from a new ticket purchase is easy, i.e., the form of payment is applied to the new ticket. With an "upfare" or other item causing a reissue, the unused flight coupons are part of the form of payment and then the add/collect. The reallocation of taxes and fees and two forms of payment, one of which is "wallet funds" is a fairly complicated transaction in the underlying GDS.

That is probably the underlying reason. These types of transactions typically need experienced human eyes to perform. Not particularly difficult, but quite specific.

I guess. But when they can do an addcollect from other sources it works just fine? I get that Sabre is complicated, but other airlines seem to have cracked this nut. AA for example will frequently leave the value on an e-ticket that can easily be transferred inside Sabre as applied to the upfare.

With no advance U seats GGUs are of limited use to me.

Last year we flew DEN-SEA-FLL and couldn't find U space LAX-FLL; I paid extra to use GGUs and we would up 1-2 on the upgrade list and rode in economy. I won't make that mistake again.