MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I generally buy tickets months in advance, hell I just booked a flight today for next September. Even at that I have missed five upgrades so far this year. One flight booked six months out I was number six on the upgrade list (JFK-SEA) and number 12 on the upgrade list on one of the returns (ORD-LGA).

Its a sign of the times and I doubt is much different at DL, UA or US. Its the new reality and particularly for PLTs and GLDs its going to be even tougher.

lovely15

I just bought a first class ticket for less than $100 over discount coach fare. As a First Special fare, it was cheaper than a refundable coach ticket. I wanted to sit in F on that flight, so I made sure it happened. Easy.

I'll also point out that my last upgraded flight, I purchased only four days before. And I'm a lowly PLT. I just don't see all these "I can't upgrade" complaints.

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

I'm a fairly meticulous tracker of my upgrades, at least recently. 2 years ago, I had a 93% upgrade rate. Last year, it was around 92%. This year, it's at 88.9%, with a chance of going to 89% if I get the next two segments upgraded. I think there's a trend here. It's getting harder to upgrade!

I do fly elite-heavy routes, on sometimes elite-heavy times. I do try to buy early though, and several times, it has been a very close call. Not last night though, but the free meal in Y consoled me.

SJCFlyerLG

At UA, we refer to it as TOD - tens of dollars. No-status fliers are offered paid upgrades at much lower prices than status fliers. As a Premier Gold (PLT equivalent), I have not scored a single upgrade this year - just 2 Y-ups. I am usually between 10 and 25 on the wait list, which often exceeds 40 names on elite-heavy routes.

The OP is crazy to expect better treatment on other domestic carriers. It was also refreshing to see some posters here admit that they don't always get upgrades. It's really tough to believe anyone can be 100% as EXP, let alone PLT.

austin_modern

Ya - I've been platinum for several years and I'm lucky to get upgrade once every 6-7 segments. I dont see how on earth someone can get 100% over 2 years @ platinum.

On that note, the OP clearly doesnt realize how many thousands of platinum flyers there are on airlines if (s)he was really expecting them to say much of anything as one quits their airline in a phone rant.

Good luck with the SkyPesos.

lovely15

I'm one who mentioned I'm 100% as PLT. I fly non elite heavy routes - ONT and TUS come to mind. And I only fly mainline AA 2-3 times a year anyway, so it's pretty easy to be 100% with those constraints. Same thing when I was GLD last year, there was only one segment I didn't make it.

brp

We've done it for 2 1/2 years now. And this is for two people. The reality is that we get 1-3 per year where only one clears, but the other 40+ are two clears. So, at least one clear on every flight for 2 1/2 years.

How? Well, we book early, we fly out of SJC and through DFW (typically) so we're through passengers there, and we tend to travel at non-business-traveler times. For example, one of two segments for tomorrows SJC-DFW-MCO has cleared (and it's the flight to MCO that hasn't ). Both legs have already cleared for the Tuesday evening return.

It can happen, but one has to make it happen.

Cheers.

ricktoronto

Here's a thought. Pay for it like I do so you don't think about your "loss" with this sense of entitlement so much.

moman

Definitely true - also recall that in 08/09/first-10 I was 99% on upgrades. It almost became an afterthought so I, and presumably others, have some tough comps to work with. I get that things change - and the whole decision matrix about airlines, routes, etc has to change to new circumstances too. Let's not be so hard on OP. We don't know how long OP has been Plat, but for years the sticker system was a good proxy for high upgrade success outside of heavy elite routes and times. This apparently has changed in the past few months as anecdotal reports filter in about EXPs not getting UDUs outside of elite heavy periods.

BRP - MCO is getting tough this year, although with luck you'll clear at the gate.

nall

These are not systemwide, unfortunately. For some of us, AA isn't offering these more reasonable fares on the routes we fly.

brp

Thanks moman. Out of MCO was easy- cleared at 100 hours. DFW-MCO has a bunch of seats open (6), but showing F4, so they may expect a coach oversell, even though it isn't now. Common ground for us

Cheers.

djibouti

I've been wondering about the through passenger thing... anyone know what their logic is? Why does someone who books same-day with a connection SFO-LAX-BOS trump same-status folks who booked 11 months ago LAX-BOS?

nall

They have to compete harder for passengers in their spokes as compared to their hubs.

Stripe

DL doesn't fly nonstop between SEA and DFW. AS does, and you would have a tiny shot at an upgrade on them. Otherwise, you will have to connect through SLC or MSP.

You may actually ride in front a little more on DL than on AA, especially on SLC-DFW, but the same phenomenon you see on AA that is changing the upgrade game is occurring in spades on DL. They have reduced the size of the F cabin on several aircraft types, they aggressively upsell F for not much more than coach on some routes, they have reduced capacity overall just like everyone else, and their elite ranks have swelled. If you want to stick with DL you would be well advised to shoot for Plat (75K), at which point you may see a measurably improved upgrade percentage, along with some other nice benefits. If you can regularly make Plat on AA you'd probably have a shot at Plat on DL, with their EQM rollover and ability to earn EQMs more ways, especially through credit card spend.

However, when you do get upgraded the experience in DL F will be decidedly less "first class" than on AA.

This isn't like calling your cable company and threatening to cancel. AA isn't going to throw goodies your way. If everyone who had a bad experience and swore off traveling on the offending airline actually made good on the threat, planes would be empty.

869

I don't think so