cdaly

Hello all AAdvantage members

I am a AA Platinum and I am looking into flying the JFK-LAX route in late July and will want to use 500 mile upgrades to get into business class from economy Which day out of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday,Saturday,Sunday,etc?) will I have the best chance to get my upgrade cleared? I know for a fact that Monday is almost impossible on the JFK-LAX route. I also remember last year when I was flying LAX-JFK on Friday afternoon I barely got upgraded on the last minute on the gate and took the last seat in business class, it was a stressful situation.

Thanks for your time,

CD

CO FF

Welcome to FT.

Your type of question cannot be answered with any absolute certainty. Obviously, offpeak times (Saturday morning, for example) are easier upgrades than peak (Friday early afternoon).

But FT offers special resources for upgrade questions -- paging HNL...

ldpeters

I'm a Plat and this is practically the only domestic route I fly unless I'm connecting to a hub (DFW, ORD) for Int'l travel.

Your best bet for upgrades (either way) are on Saturday morning going out and Saturday afternoon coming home. Over the past three years (including one as Gold), I'm 100% on the Saturday 9:00 AM JFK-LAX and 100% on the Saturday 4-ish PM (it's moved around a bit; I can't remember where it is now) LAX-JFK (only downside is that the 4-ish PM gets in a bit late).

Otherwise, if you have to travel during the week IMHO the 11-ish AM JFK-LAX and the late morning / early afternoon flights LAX-JFK provide the best upgrade potential. Monday mornings JFK-LAX, as well Thursday afternoons and all day Fridays either way are quite tough. Sunday PM, particularly ex-LAX, is also hard to come by. Wednesday offers your best bet during the week, with Tuesday being only a bit worse.

makfan

I'd agree that Saturdays can work well. I few in 07 as a gold and got upgraded SFO-JFK because I flew Saturday both directions. The return JFK-SFO UG was at the gate (gate agent came on and gave me a new boarding pass).

I also got upgraded most of the time in 08 as a platinum. The one miss was returning to SFO on a Sunday afternoon. I learned that lesson quickly.

I've been 100% this year as an EXP on SFO/LAX-JFK.

The caveat is that anything can happen to the particular flight that you choose. Even when you stack the odds in your favor, you might get unlucky.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I've done a lot of JFK/LAX of SFO flights this year because the fares have been down dirt cheap and I like California. All of my upgs on various days and times have cleared (even got an opug to F from LAX). The key is to book early (if you can) so that you are on top of the list.

gemac

...at least on UA. Don't know if it's been tried on AA yet. Tell them you are a bachelor party.

WanderingGent

My most recent travels got me wondering about which flight segments people tend to either "sweat it out" waiting for upgrades that clear at the last minute, or segments in which people repeatedly try in vain to get but are usually unsuccessful in doing so.

For me so far this year, AA 1561 (ORD-SFO) on Sunday evenings is the hardest upgrade to score (but I've ultimately been successful, if at the last minute). As an EXP UPG1* who purchased the ticket ten weeks prior, I was #3 on the upgrade list. I did clear at the gate, but I believe that I was the last one to do so.

The flight is always full in Y, with I'd say at least 20 upgrade requests. It's the last flight of the day to SFO and it's on a 763 with full dinner service. Many people, I suspect upgrade into Z inventory (miles + co-pay/eVIP) or are on J or F awards, so more than half the F seats are usually gone before any X inventory opens up. 1561 is a codeshare flight with IB and QF as well -- I'm not sure if there are any other codeshares.


*Normally I'm transiting through ORD, so I would be UPG1T (and thus higher on the list than any UPG1s).

thedoorchick

In my recent experience, DFW-DTW on Monday morning. There are always plenty of EXPs who don't get the upgrade. So many, in fact, that I don't even bother getting on the list anymore as a lowly PLT. It's a relatively short flight anyway. I'd rather upgrade on the way home and enjoy some free booze.

Ceteris Paribus

any flight heading down to MIA from LGA, JFK, DFW or ORD PRIOR to a long weekend!
This past Memorial weekend was a joy to secure the UPG. Averaging 3 of 4 in last four years

AGSF

I bet that this is one of the very few flights where a large number of people have actually paid for a seat in first (or in business, as part of a international trip). Other routes where I suspect a large number of people pay for first are JFK-SFO/LAX, BOS-SFO/LAX, MIA-SFO/LAX, thus making upgrades all that more difficult to come by.

brp

Yup. The SFO transcons to JFK/BOS are hard (as he sits waiting for SFO-BOS Thursday redeye, already showing only F3). Interestingly, SFO-MIA is not as bad.

Cheers.

JDiver

AA 1561 departed ORD May 31 with a lengthy upgrade in waiting list, two full cabins and several folks who did not make the flight (possibly standbys.) We flew 3A and B as Z folks connecting from PVG.

The F FA, who was also in that position SFO-ORD May 10, was spectacular - always busy, attentive, offering drinks, assistance, last minute sips before landing, remembering frequent habitués of the flight, even remembering us from May 10 last night. If they could inoculate every FA with whatever she has, we'd all be happy fliers.

BTW, the earlier SMF-DFW flight can be a bear to upgrade on, particularly Mondays.

WanderingGent

So we were on the same flight... of course I didn't have my FT bag tag this trip... I was in 5D, and even though the FA forgot to offer me a departure beverage, she was extremely pleasant throughout the whole flight, and I was quite impressed that she remembered my name as I was exiting the plane. That was a first!

jordyn

The JFK<->SFO flights on 763s are the hardest upgrades that I've seen. When I was a PLT, I never cleared on these flights, and now that I'm an EXP I've twice looked a week or two out, seen availability like J3 or J4, and decided to pick a different flight instead.

The JFK<->SFO routes are probably generally hard if you're GLD (and it was rough as a PLT last year). I almost never see an upgrade list shorter than 15 or 20 names at the airport.

PCTraveler

I don't have any status on AA, am flying LAX-MIA on AA and wondering if I have any hope of upgrading.

I understand there is nothing similar to UA's CR-1 instrument on AA, so I would have to obtain an eVIP to upgrade in advance.

Otherwise, I would have to use miles plus a co-pay. With no status and on a transcon, does this seem possible? The flight is a 757 at 6am Wed morning and I purchased a Q fare.

Is there any other way to upgrade?

BTW, seatcounter is showing the flight zeroed out, but I don't think that is accurate as all flights that day are zeroed out, yet AA.com will sell seats on all flights. Does AA not work with seatcounter?

Thanks in advance.