When is the earliest AA will release seats for Mileage-based upgrade?
Aug 22, 2006, 2:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Rio Rancho, NM
Programs: US Chairman 150+, AA EXP, United 1K, Marriott PP, Hertz PC
Posts: 222
When is the earliest AA will release seats for Mileage-based upgrade?
I'm sure this is up in the forum somewhere, but there are so many pages that come back when I search for 'mileage' or 'PNR', that I'm cowardly opening this thread. Feel free to kick me to the appropriate answer thread, if it's already out there. Sorry for the spam-ish note.
My wife, daughter, and I are going to Hawaii 12/22 - 12/30. I'm on the waitlist for doing upgrades using mileage, but I'm wondering when the earliest it would be that AA would release the F seats. I can see there are 10+ seats open in the cabin, currently. Is there an advantage to calling the PLT desk or should I depend on the automatic system?
Thanks!
My wife, daughter, and I are going to Hawaii 12/22 - 12/30. I'm on the waitlist for doing upgrades using mileage, but I'm wondering when the earliest it would be that AA would release the F seats. I can see there are 10+ seats open in the cabin, currently. Is there an advantage to calling the PLT desk or should I depend on the automatic system?
Thanks!
Aug 22, 2006, 4:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP>2m, Alaska MVP, Virgin Gold, Delta Gold, Starwood Gold, Cathay Pacific Silver
Posts: 599
My experience is that they release them whenever they feel like it. Calling the Gold desk has never done me any good, but maybe other people have had luck with the PLAT desk. Anyway, it can't hurt to try.
Aug 22, 2006, 6:12 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
You can find them out months and months for some routes, like Latin America. For Hawaii over Christmas one might think there are less great chances. I would not be surprised if they sell out before Xmas.
Aug 22, 2006, 7:37 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat, DL GM and Flying Colonel; Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 24,233
The earliest? 11 months out, when the flight first opens for booking.
After that, or after those are all gone (pretty quickly for December holiday time flights to/from Hawai'i, which is not exactly an unpopular place to go that time of year) it's whenever their yield management systems see a booking pattern that says the front cabin won't sell out. This can be any time, and is impossible for mere mortals to predict.
The EXP desk can sometimes get them to release more seats, but not always. It depends on how close the probability of available seats is to the point where the yield management system would release them. If it's close, they'll make additional inventory available to EXP. If it's not, they won't. AFAIK, they don't do this for other elite levels.
After that, or after those are all gone (pretty quickly for December holiday time flights to/from Hawai'i, which is not exactly an unpopular place to go that time of year) it's whenever their yield management systems see a booking pattern that says the front cabin won't sell out. This can be any time, and is impossible for mere mortals to predict.
The EXP desk can sometimes get them to release more seats, but not always. It depends on how close the probability of available seats is to the point where the yield management system would release them. If it's close, they'll make additional inventory available to EXP. If it's not, they won't. AFAIK, they don't do this for other elite levels.