OLCI purchased upgrade offer to non-elite before elite upgrades processed
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
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I understand your reasoning but I don't think it holds true. Never did AA commit to a fixed pricing policy. They just said that if there were seats in F left over, you had status and enough stickers, you could get in line to upgrade and, based on some criteria, you may or may not get upgraded..
Free upgrades are stated benefit of the program. and a pretty important benefit to a lot of elites. IMHO, this is NOT a good business move if an airline wants to keep elite loyalty.
Last edited by mvoight; Aug 20, 2012 at 12:08 am
#62
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: PSP
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, United
Posts: 1,081
So if I'm understanding this right all "elites" are being screwed. EXP's are being aced out of free UG's and Golds and Plats who have accumulated dozens of UG stickers will have no way of redeeming them. Add in non-redeemable SWU's and you are talking real fiscal impact. Both to elite customers and people looking to acquire AA.
Item #2: I had a trip on hold that I needed to pay for tonight but after reading this thread I chose to cancel and rebook (extend the booking) to see how AA responds as I don't need to ride a 757 to OGG in Y.
Item #2: I had a trip on hold that I needed to pay for tonight but after reading this thread I chose to cancel and rebook (extend the booking) to see how AA responds as I don't need to ride a 757 to OGG in Y.
#63
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
I believe this is a length trial on upgrade procedure.
The reason is for each flights the upgradable spaces are limited and many EXP left unhappy if the upgrade request can not be fulfilled. So some better procedure should be produced as there are so many EXP around nowadays.
When a non-elite is selected to pay for upgrade, the non-elite would be interested how to get upgrade again and then they will learn flying more to be able to get free upgrade. Also AA would gather data on how much a person would pay for an upgrade. So for some non performing routes, AA could see more potentials of selling cash upgrades where not many elites on board. I do not think the cash upgrade would be extended to many routes as it has been existed for at least three years.
So I think for the elites croweded routes, the current procedure will remain. For some non elites routes, we may see more cash upgrade sales. I would not be surprised to see AA to adopt bidding system.
Personally I think no one is entitled to free upgrade unless for operational reason. Just personal opinion.
The reason is for each flights the upgradable spaces are limited and many EXP left unhappy if the upgrade request can not be fulfilled. So some better procedure should be produced as there are so many EXP around nowadays.
When a non-elite is selected to pay for upgrade, the non-elite would be interested how to get upgrade again and then they will learn flying more to be able to get free upgrade. Also AA would gather data on how much a person would pay for an upgrade. So for some non performing routes, AA could see more potentials of selling cash upgrades where not many elites on board. I do not think the cash upgrade would be extended to many routes as it has been existed for at least three years.
So I think for the elites croweded routes, the current procedure will remain. For some non elites routes, we may see more cash upgrade sales. I would not be surprised to see AA to adopt bidding system.
Personally I think no one is entitled to free upgrade unless for operational reason. Just personal opinion.
#64
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Austin TX
Programs: AA PLT, ICH Plat
Posts: 1,965
Just a Reminder. As of now, there is no word from AA about a change in policy.
We do not know if this is a glitch or a screwing.
OP cannot talk to Customer Relations until Monday.
Lets ALL breathe!!
We do not know if this is a glitch or a screwing.
OP cannot talk to Customer Relations until Monday.
Lets ALL breathe!!
#65
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
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Location: London, England
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~Moderator
#66
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
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Has this issue come up on other travel boards (I'm sure FT is not the only sight devote to trave)?
If this is a new(?) policy, I would suspect that corporate travel departments would notice fewer exp's being upgraded--I'm assuming that they would notice such things.
If this is a new(?) policy, I would suspect that corporate travel departments would notice fewer exp's being upgraded--I'm assuming that they would notice such things.
#67
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
It is definitely not new. I remember there was some news about it two years ago about a trial of upgrade process. I am sure if anyone search on WJS may find some answers. And also, I am not AA member and I was offered cash upgrade three years on check-in kiosks (ticketed N class and offered $50 upgrade and was booked into X class). So it is not NEW.
#68
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Echoing everyone else this is not good news. Hopefully AA will respond on FT and keep with whatever AA says the policy is. As yes most elites would have no idea what is going on if revenue management is quitely offering paid upgrades to non elites before elites are upgraded on certain flights.
#69
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: 06830
Programs: AA EXP 2MM HHonors Diamond
Posts: 395
I think there is a good chance that this was a glich. On Friday, I booked JFK-LAX for tomorrow (Tuesday), returning Wednesday, both R upgrades cleared 40+ hours from respective departure times. Nothing sinister here (yet).
#70
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 413
<redacted>
As of now there are 8 others on the upgrade list with the one seat still available, so essentially all of the seats that were available in F and were "possibly" sold as LFBU's would have been filled by elites.
I'm sure the other EXP behind me is wondering why he hasn't gotten his upgrade yet, especially if he knew there were 7 seats available at this time yesterday.
--wes
As of now there are 8 others on the upgrade list with the one seat still available, so essentially all of the seats that were available in F and were "possibly" sold as LFBU's would have been filled by elites.
I'm sure the other EXP behind me is wondering why he hasn't gotten his upgrade yet, especially if he knew there were 7 seats available at this time yesterday.
--wes
Last edited by Microwave; Aug 20, 2012 at 11:11 am
#71
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
It is definitely not new. I remember there was some news about it two years ago about a trial of upgrade process. I am sure if anyone search on WJS may find some answers. And also, I am not AA member and I was offered cash upgrade three years on check-in kiosks (ticketed N class and offered $50 upgrade and was booked into X class). So it is not NEW.
LFBU via kiosk has been running for some time now, more recently they added the same ability via OLCI.
The point of this thread is that the upgrades via OLCI and LFBU are not supposed to be offered if there are still elites with upgrade requests unfulfilled, deviation from this is the bit we are concerned about.
#72
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 30
Would love to see AA's response. The OP at #1 on the UG list should have cleared at 100 hours with that many F inventory. Now AA is just going to sell upgrades and wait it out? Ridiclious.
#73
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
There is no 'should' about clearing at the 100 hour mark, it is great when it happens, but as long as AA think they can sell the seats there is no reason for them to give them away right as the 100 hour window opens.
Until AA says otherwise, the most we can draw from this is that something went wrong on this flight.
#74
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA PLT; SPG PLT
Posts: 326
Just to add a datapoint on the side of this maybe being a glitch:
This weekend I did DFW-SFO, the upgrade didn't clear, and I did upgrade standby when checking in at the kiosk. At the gate I was not on the upgrade list at all. I didn't bother following up (EF had shown F1 A0 for this flight for a while, and I booked it late, so I figured the upgrade had no chance anyway).
Seemingly unrelated, but still, something clearly went wrong with the upgrade processing.
This weekend I did DFW-SFO, the upgrade didn't clear, and I did upgrade standby when checking in at the kiosk. At the gate I was not on the upgrade list at all. I didn't bother following up (EF had shown F1 A0 for this flight for a while, and I booked it late, so I figured the upgrade had no chance anyway).
Seemingly unrelated, but still, something clearly went wrong with the upgrade processing.
#75
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EXP, UA former 1K (1.9MM and gone), Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 1,111
UA's new system of selling upgrades out from under their elites, while claiming to do otherwise, is one of the biggest reasons many of us have jumped ship to AA. It would indeed be quite troubling to discover that AA is moving in the same direction and would possibly cause their recent efforts to recruit us to backfire.
Since AA seems to be much more responsive to public opinion than UA, this is the time for us to make a lot of noise and make it clear to them that it's a bad idea to mess with the upgrade system like this. That said, I have no problem at all with AA selling upgrades for seats that really would have otherwise remained empty. In fact I've already been surprised to see some empty F seats on a recent flight, which I haven't seen at UA in several years.
Since AA seems to be much more responsive to public opinion than UA, this is the time for us to make a lot of noise and make it clear to them that it's a bad idea to mess with the upgrade system like this. That said, I have no problem at all with AA selling upgrades for seats that really would have otherwise remained empty. In fact I've already been surprised to see some empty F seats on a recent flight, which I haven't seen at UA in several years.