DCtrAAveler

Trying to make some sense of the vagaries and intricacies of the upgrade process in the situation my partner and I encountered on a trip this past weekend.

Scenario: I purchased tickets a couple weeks out for me and my partner to travel BWI-JFK-SEA on 1/24-1/25 (AA 235 and 236 JFK-SEA legs). We are both EXP. I checked the upgrade request blocks when I put the tickets on hold, and verified they were still checked when I purchased the tickets the following day. Called EXP desk to have the PNR split for upgrade purposes; was told nothing would change with the upgrade request date/timestamp.

Outbound our upgrades don't clear until day of travel - less than 24 hours out, but before 4 hour mark when upgrade list shows in the App. Return, my upgrade clears at or very close to 100 hour mark. Partner's doesn't. Watch EF sit at F4 A3 P something and then tick down to F1 A1 P0 by morning of the 25th and his upgrade still hasn't cleared. Finally does at the gate after speaking with the GA (he was #1).

I'm assuming that RM opened one seat at 100 hours out on AA236 and I cleared into it, and then others of the remaining seats were purchased or went to people using miles+copay or SWUs. What I'm not understanding is why I was the one who cleared: in the past, when all else was equal (same date/timestamp because 1 reservation that was split), our experience is that he would always clear before me (regardless of who purchased the ticket) and/or show right above me on the upgrade list because his name is before mine alphabetically. In this instance, that didn't happen. IT glitch? Was he overlooked? Just curious what might have been at work here and if there's something I/we can do in future if this happens again.

danville 1K

I'm on AA 136 to London later this week. Seats in business were/are pretty wide open all week. Very early this morning (5:00 a.m. or so) my upgrade cleared, but EF is still showing C-0 and I never received a seat alert from EF. Seating chart hasn't changed since this morning, so either the upgrade demand is low or others aren't as pedantic about checking their upgrades as yours truly.

carsnoceans

Planning for a MR or two before end of Q2 and PVG seems like the best way to go using SWUs.

I am ex-ORD and intended route is ORD-PVG-HKG or ORD-DFW-PVG-HKG. Latter gives few more miles and shows more C availability. But given this is a 1-2 day turnaround, I am more inclined towards saving time and letting go of few miles. However, ORD-PVG rarely shows upgrade inventory more than a week in advance. Whereas DFW-PVG is little better in those regards.

For those who have experience watching this route... any thoughts on how upgrade inventory for J cabin goes between these two routes? Would it fairly safe to bet that ORD-PVG inventory will open up or should I choose the safer routing with upgrade inventory available at booking?

GBBob

I have done the ORD-PVG trip 4-5 times a year since it's inception and have never not had a Coach to biz (sorry...not great on Class Codes) clear through either SWU or Miles and co-pay. My dates are usually flexible and the ORD-PVG leg usually clears first and the PVG-ORD can get dicey and it's come down to a gate clear a few times.

I do that as an MR occasioanlly as well as it's a great way to get 14K miles and only "lose" two days flying and no hotel needs.

bmchris

Don't you mean "have never had a Coach to biz (sorry...not great on Class Codes) NOT clear through either SWU or Miles and co-pay"?

The way it reads to me originally is that you've never had an upgrade clear. But I think you mean they have always cleared.

chaos37

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but this past Sunday I was flying DFW>MIA. I was #3 on the upgrade list, so before boarding I asked if FC had checked in full. I was told it was so, so I proceeded to board and make my way to my seat. Right before takeoff, the gate agent came down and asked a person close to me if they were an executive platinum and handed them a new boarding pass. I thought nothing of it and assumed he was #1 or 2 on the list. Upon landing in MIA, my AA mobile app alerted that my seat changed. Apparently I was upgraded to FC and not told, or upgraded to FC and my boarding pass was given to the wrong person. Is this common? Should I seek any recourse for this?

mikelat

You can write AA to complain if you like. People have had mixed experiences with getting their upgrades once they board. The agent probably should have come to get you but they don't always do that.

Exec_Plat

Next time be very clear with the agent. They get people asking about upgrades when the person is # 27 on the list. I often get the "sir, it is full" ..but then when I say "im #1 on the list" the story changes, and I get "tell you what, just wait to the side and I may call you" or similar. Not a demanding inquiry, not whiny...

Sure, it shouldnt work like that. sure the system should have them finding you. But I just rather not let my travel experience be controlled by how well this process works.

carsnoceans

Is there ghost availability on AA website for SWUs. For couple of dates, AA seemed to show upgrade inventory but EF was showing nothing for C.

tom911

Thought I was at a UA gate at SFO this morning when I saw 38 passengers on the upgrade list for the AA 0820 SFO-ORD. Flight was F2 last night and I got one of those seats about 5 hours out. Haven't noticed those type of numbers for AA in the past. My connecting flight here at ORD has zero on the upgrade list (cleared that a couple days out).

Elchupanebre4

The 5:31pm on Thurs night is dreadful. Last night there was an EXP 30th on the list, and I have even been on the Monday am ORD-SFO with EXP's at 46 and a 75 person long UG list (yes at least a third of the plane was EXP). Elite heavy route compounded by the time. I only get an upgrade if I'm full fare and get the early afternoon flight, even then its always at the gate.

While knowing you won't get upgraded ever on this route sucks, the fact that you get your drink and snack on AA is an awesome relief, takes the sting out of not even being able to get MCE sometimes... You think given the load factor on this route they would bring back the 767's or at least throw a 757 on it, although I think some higher frequencies might . The other day the gate agent even said this would be a great 787 route (pipe dream I realize).

tom911

I've never been able to figure out AA's ORD strategy. You have a choice of five SFO-DFW flights between 6am and noon on a Friday, but only one SFO-ORD flight at 8:20a.m. It's like they've ceded the route to UA (6 flights between 6am and noon) and are only really competing against Virgin America who has one flight at 9:15a.m.

GetSetJetSet

Last Sunday MIA-EWR, woke up and tried to apply stickers a few hours before the flight. Only person on the waitlist, didn't clear.

Flying LGA-PBI tomorrow, upgrade cleared at t+72.

Stripe

"Checked in full" is not the same as "boarded full". If I'm at or close to the top of the list I won't board unless all FC pax have boarded.

Radiant Flyer

So far 100% success rate, my SFO - JFK flight cleared FIVE DAYS before depature on the A321.... return flight JFK-LAX-SFO... Just cleared 4 days out.

2 weeks ago week SFO - MIA - SJU cleared 4 days out as well