brp

Not in my experience. Upgrades go to the elites (as they should) and seats occasionally go out empty. I've seen plenty of folks in uniform heading toward coach.

Cheers.

hotstepper

Never for AA in the past decade for me. It happened once to me on a CX flight though (Christmas Day!)

matrixwalker2012

Back when I was a Gold member, I managed to snag two op-ups. First case was I had volunteered to be bumped and in the end, I guess the GA ended up with one free F seat and gave it to me for being willing to help him out. He just said: "I don't need to bump you but since you offered to help, I gave you a better seat." Confused me for a sec as I already had an exit row aisle. Looked closer and realized it was first class.

Other time was I had a confirmed upgrade on a later flight but just by luck, I walked up to an earlier flight and asked if they still had any first class seats open. Guess the GA was in a hurry so he just processed me as an op-up instead of deducting my stickers. Didn't realize until several days later.

nyc2socal

Back in 98, I was on a TWA flight from LGA-ROC.. Crew outnumbered passengers.. I was one of 2 passengers in coach.. No upgrade..

96707HI

I'm a PLAT and was upgraded form DFW to LAX on a smile and a handshake.

cynicAAl

I've had it happen to me twice, both on the midnight LAX-SJO, and I was seated in 9C (752). But twice in 25 years and a million miles is pretty close to "never".

jammanxc

don't complain to us if you see stickers deducted a few days after you flown that segment

96707HI

I'm not one to complain!

jaytcsd

My wife and I got moved up Wed from IND to DFW. Our original flight to ORD was canceled and we had been changed over automatically. I had about 20 text messages on my phone due to the FAA notices from http://www.fly.faa.gov/ais/jsp/login.jsp, plus AA texts and voicemails, I was impressed with AA's proactive approach.

I guess we got moved because I'm what I call double EX platinum, I lost my ex plat standing 2 years ago, but have plat for life from mileage. Some of the GAs recognize me from my travel there, that might have helped.

Cerebral

OP asked whether AA ever upgrades non EXP w/o stickers, not whether it is happens often. I would assume that OP understands that it is not common practice. So band camp stories are relevant to the thread. My apologies if I bored anyone.

brp

No, not really. Since the answer to just about every "has it ever happened to anyone at any time" question is "yes," it wouldn't make sense to ask that question since the answer is already known. I think these types of questions are about likelihood and how-to, not "has it ever happened to anyone."

Cheers.

Cerebral

You are probably right. I only posted since it happened in front of me the same morning the thread was started.

As to how-to: it always helps if you are an attractive young female (though that is typically not applicable with with FAs). Since I am not young, or female, I always had to use stickers until I became EXP .

Peace!

grumpymonkey

I got one of the rarest of op-ups imaginable. An op-up on an award ticket--LGA-ORD. I was flying on miles in coach, which I normally wouldn't do on that route, but I needed to fly last minute to see a very sick friend, and to pay for it would have been ridiculously expensive.

The flight was full, and they started rolling EXPs out of coach into first, and I wound up in front, on a mile-saver award ticket. Crazy that I couldn't have upgraded that ticket with an SWU, but they gave it to me for free.

bilah1

Ive been upgraded twice with companions who had no status. LAS-LAX and LAS-ORD redeye. Neither flight had meal service. I have no stickers left and hadn't requested an upgrade,

JMN57

Twice in modern times:

op up earlier this year DFW-LI T

two years ago SFO-JFK my wife and I were upgraded and no stickers deducted! (I had requested upgrades, we had cleared in advance, never had stickers deducted)