Ajohn

This morning I was on AA 115 from LHR-JFK, leaving at 8:30 BST. I got op-upped to business, my first experience, which was very nice. However, it left me with a couple questions.

First of all, a TON of people got it. At least 10 names must have been called, and the girl next to me in business (who got upped) didn't even have status. I'm a lowly GLD, and yet I was the first to be bumped. Why is this? Is it because EXPs/Plats/rich people don't like flying that early? Or that they hold out for the newer 777s?

Second, I'm going to make Plat in a few weeks, and had I already done so, I would have been happily relaxing in the AC. Had I been there, would I have missed out on the upgrade?

Not that I think I could ever repeat the experience intentionally, but I'd love to know a bit more of the mechanics of it. Thanks in advance!

JDiver

The mechanics are easy - you were in the right place at the right time, it's extremely unpredictable. You may have received an op up because it's summer, they overbooked Economy and decided to clear some seats to J cabin, which was underutilized because of the cheaper fare summer travelers. We had a BRU - ORD flight some days ago with 7 empty seats in the J cabin, full house in the back - same reason, IMO.

The only advice I can give you is with Platinum or EXP - don't count on it, because it happens pretty rarely. The very tired CW of "dress up" is a load of rubbish, though it might do in a very severe pinch and the alternative is Snuffy Smith.

SMTORD

It happened to me once Int on a 767, when I was Gold and coach was oversold. The weather was really bad here in Chicago, and I just figured the higher-level elites either missed connections or just couldn't get into O'Hare.

JDiver

That can happen too - on an overbooked ORD - NRT flight I was worried about upgrading with an eVIP (but it happened anyway) we left with a less than half-full J cabin; we had decided to LIFO in the night before, so the snow didn't affect us the way it affected those who were planning to connect the same day as the ORD - NRT flight.

I fly AA quite a bit over the last sixty years or so - and in the last 10 - 15 years I can recall, I've been opped up more on QF than on AA.

ContinentalFan

I have to disagree with the "dress up" comment. I wouldn't say wear a suit, but if you dress shabbily, your chances are diminished. I've received an op/up quite a few times on different carriers, though never on AA. I haven't seen Joe Tourist ever get the nod!

CloudCoder

That's probably because Joe Tourist doesn't fly often enough to have status.

As an EXP I would be rather peeved if a no-status customer got op-upped and I didn't. I do not believe attire has anything to do with op-ups.

Ajohn

Well hopefully I can put you all at ease about the attire issue. Not only was my name called on the PA by and to a lady who had never seen me, but also I was wearing an African wool shirt, which, to most people in the West, looks very touristy and not at all business-like. But what about the AC question? Had I not been in the gate area, would I have missed out?

Nick90274

Probably. You can't hear those announcements inside most AC's so you would've most likely been in the back of the bus.

CloudCoder

Doubtful. They upgrade you then page you. If you don't answer the page, they keep trying, and/or they wait until you try to board with your old seat assignment. That's when the gate reader beeps, they notice something amiss, and find your new BP.

Again, I'd be sorely peeved if AA upgraded someone with lower status simply because they were dressed like a peacock.

Dr. HFH

Nope. When they decide (read need) to op up people, they do it first by elites in the obvious order, -- EXP, PLT, GLD. Don't know how they decide whom to op up beyond that. Once they decide the people who are being op upped, they allocate the seats and print new boarding passes for all of those people. They have to do this in order to free up the Y seats they need to get those people seat-assigned and boarded. Then they start paging those who were op upped. Check it out sometime. If you're near the desk when they start paging op up people, you'll typically see all the new J and F boarding apsses spread out on the desk waiting for people to claim them. I get it from time to time on 155 LHR-BOS, as this is a fairly popular flight.

salut0

Of course, in LHR the downside of rushing to the gate is having to wait in the horrible holding pen, rather than in the comfort of the AC or even the CX lounge, drink in hand and plate of snacks at the ready. The LHR T3 gates don't even have bathrooms past the gate security desk inside the rooms -- you have to exit and go back down the corridor (perhaps even quite far -- I can't remember where exactly).

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I am PLT and travel a lot on weekends doing MR and visiting cities that I like. Particularly on the weekends Y is oversold or has many standbys while there is room in F. In the past four years as a GLD and PLT I have probably been OP UP about twenty times or so (including two this past weekend on a MR from LGA to IAH). As other posters have indicated, GAs start with EXP and work their way down to GLD. Supposely, if there are several paxs within each level of status the GAs are to look at fare codes. However, GAs have told me that in a rush to get standbys on and the flight off the gate in time they might short cut the system a bit.

Not sure about the "dress factor" (I normally travel in jeans but always present a good appearance) but GAs might look at overall appearance (like wearing a Hooters tee shirt) of the pax.

oiRRio

I agree with this and the other posters who've said the same as this has been my experience. All but one of my op-ups have due to status except two at LHR where (even as a straight guy ) I was able to have some pleasant banter with the check-in staff and was upgraded despite coach definitely not being full.

However your comments do appear to be somewhat of a volte-face from your previous comments on getting free upgrades so I was just wondering if you'd changed your somewhat "strong" views.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...=615860&page=2

edwin_p_morales

I'm not so sure. I've seen about 1/4 cabin's worth of Joe Tourists in t-shirts and baseball hats op-upped on a flight to LHR. So far as I could tell they made the decisions without even looking at the passengers. They printed up a stack of new boarding passes and then started callling names. I was op-upped very early on in the process, about 2 hours before departure and from the AC. When the back is over-full I'm not sure they waiti around to inspect your clothes.

jrhone

The involuntary upgrade priority list is as follows:

Executive Platinum
Platinum
Gold
AAirpass
Regular Advantage
Full Fare Business
Full Fare Coach

After that it is pretty much up to the gate agent .