Zero "U" Upgrade Availability?
#106
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
#107
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
With all due respect, I find this statement to be far-fetched. AA F is no better than AS premium? Really? AA’s premium cabin pricing has been so reasonable that I’ve been strategically booking flights on AA widebody aircraft. DFW-MCO on a B77W and snagging seat 2J (F seat) or 3J (mini cabin) on MIA-LAX have been some of my go to routes. I’ll let the below pics speak for themselves, but suffice to say — I’ll requalify for 75K very comfortably and economically this year.
Alaska still getting away with smoked turkey sandwiches, cans of white or red wine (no alcohol) in first on sold out flights to/from Hawaii.
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,630
And how many of those voluptuous birds does AA fly to/from SEA and various Hawaiian islands? How many to/from the SF Bay Area and various Hawaiian islands? If AA had that pictured aircraft, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, on SFO/HNL at similar pricing to what I've paid AS for my upcoming trip, I'd have chosen AA and credited the trip to the AS MP.
#109
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
And how many of those voluptuous birds does AA fly to/from SEA and various Hawaiian islands? How many to/from the SF Bay Area and various Hawaiian islands? If AA had that pictured aircraft, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, on SFO/HNL at similar pricing to what I've paid AS for my upcoming trip, I'd have chosen AA and credited the trip to the AS MP.
Combined with the near criminal car rental rates, I plan to scale back as much business travel as possible, until things settle down a bit - despite receiving my second Covid vaccination.
#110
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
AS is currently raking it in, should continue doing so through at least the summer, with all of the pent up demand to Hawaii, time to throw us a bone - restore alcohol at least.
Combined with the near criminal car rental rates, I plan to scale back as much business travel as possible, until things settle down a bit - despite receiving my second Covid vaccination.
Combined with the near criminal car rental rates, I plan to scale back as much business travel as possible, until things settle down a bit - despite receiving my second Covid vaccination.
#111
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 138
I was actually hunting for availability much later in the year (November), but it's encouraging to see that they now appear to be releasing U space at least a few months in advance.
#112
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: On a plane or a beach
Programs: Yes
Posts: 3,151
Perhaps availability has opened up a bit in the month since anteater made this observation. I was just looking for U space on upcoming SEA-HNL flights and there seems to be availability here and there for the next 6 weeks, most often on the AS129 evening flight. Latest I found was 7U on 6/16/2021 on the aforementioned AS129.
I was actually hunting for availability much later in the year (November), but it's encouraging to see that they now appear to be releasing U space at least a few months in advance.
I was actually hunting for availability much later in the year (November), but it's encouraging to see that they now appear to be releasing U space at least a few months in advance.
#113
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
Perhaps availability has opened up a bit in the month since anteater made this observation. I was just looking for U space on upcoming SEA-HNL flights and there seems to be availability here and there for the next 6 weeks, most often on the AS129 evening flight. Latest I found was 7U on 6/16/2021 on the aforementioned AS129.
I was actually hunting for availability much later in the year (November), but it's encouraging to see that they now appear to be releasing U space at least a few months in advance.
I was actually hunting for availability much later in the year (November), but it's encouraging to see that they now appear to be releasing U space at least a few months in advance.
#114
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
ps: I'd also say one of the reasons they aren't worried about the t-cons, is a very large % of those flights will never even operate...
#115
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
I don't have ExpertFlyer so I'm not sure how to interpret what is going on with AS 2599. There is no box with either a filled or unfilled "F". I assume this is because there are no main cabin fares to sell so a GGU couldn't be applied either way. There is still F availability though, so my question is how do I find out if there is U space? I'm just curious if I do an SDC whether I would immediately clear into F.
#116
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: On a plane or a beach
Programs: Yes
Posts: 3,151
I don't have ExpertFlyer so I'm not sure how to interpret what is going on with AS 2599. There is no box with either a filled or unfilled "F". I assume this is because there are no main cabin fares to sell so a GGU couldn't be applied either way. There is still F availability though, so my question is how do I find out if there is U space? I'm just curious if I do an SDC whether I would immediately clear into F.
#117
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
I should have clarified, this is in fact a flight where I was upgraded to U. In the past, I could do an SDC and I will immediately be upgraded to F if U space is there and if not, I will be on the upgrade list as you suggested. I guess I'm wondering if there is an easy way to figure out which it will be (i.e. see if there is U space) before doing it.
#118
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: On a plane or a beach
Programs: Yes
Posts: 3,151
I should have clarified, this is in fact a flight where I was upgraded to U. In the past, I could do an SDC and I will immediately be upgraded to F if U space is there and if not, I will be on the upgrade list as you suggested. I guess I'm wondering if there is an easy way to figure out which it will be (i.e. see if there is U space) before doing it.
Last edited by anteater; May 5, 2021 at 11:08 am
#119
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
I should have clarified, this is in fact a flight where I was upgraded to U. In the past, I could do an SDC and I will immediately be upgraded to F if U space is there and if not, I will be on the upgrade list as you suggested. I guess I'm wondering if there is an easy way to figure out which it will be (i.e. see if there is U space) before doing it.
James
#120
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 138
Wow, I think AS may have finally re-opened the floodgates. I have been monitoring U availability for SEA-HNL fairly closely for many months now. And when I checked yesterday, there was still only a smattering of availability, all within the next few weeks and none after the end of this month. Today when I woke up, I saw a bunch of EF alerts I set up months ago finally fire, and sure enough, looking on both EF and the Alaska site, they're now showing tons of U availability for SEA-HNL well into next year (June, at least).
I further confirmed by calling in and modifying an upcoming SEA-HNL flight I had for mid-November. I had booked seats in G using a companion cert for my wife and myself, and we're both just lowly MVP's so we were waitlisted for F and PC. But I called in to up-fare to B, and though the rep indicated she saw the U availability, the system didn't allow her to be able to grab it for us as part of the up-fare transaction. However, within about 30 seconds of her submitting the transaction, we were both auto-upgraded into F.
Anyway, not sure about transcon or other routes, but you may want to check...
I further confirmed by calling in and modifying an upcoming SEA-HNL flight I had for mid-November. I had booked seats in G using a companion cert for my wife and myself, and we're both just lowly MVP's so we were waitlisted for F and PC. But I called in to up-fare to B, and though the rep indicated she saw the U availability, the system didn't allow her to be able to grab it for us as part of the up-fare transaction. However, within about 30 seconds of her submitting the transaction, we were both auto-upgraded into F.
Anyway, not sure about transcon or other routes, but you may want to check...