Has AA eliminated the upgrade window for elites?
 

Lately, the last few weeks, it seems like AA has eliminated the upgrade window almost completely. For my last few flights inventory has been abundant and still no upgrade in advance of 4 hours. For example on a flight in 5 hours all categories are at 7 (F7 through A6, T7) and still no upgrade. And this is what I have been seeing for the past 10 days. The results are the same so not a big deal, but is anybody else seeing this. Im EXP.

I cleared at T-24 last week as a PLT but granted it was a leisure flight (Sunday LAS-LAX).

The upgrade window is the earliest point at which you could clear. That doesn't mean it will happen then. It can go right up until boarding time.

Lots of late clearing on empty flights during all the weather. I assume to allow for disrupted flyers.

Don't know if this applies to your specific situation, but whenever Y is oversold, the system stops processing upgrades until very late in the game.

Which is probably the primary reason. For the past several years FTs have complained more and more about upgrades clearing later. Whether its fact or fiction is up to debate.

No neither is the case here. You don't have F7 to T7 on an oversold flight (at least 7 saver awards) plus you don't have the lowest fare classes available. I'm familiar with the general trend of complaints, but this feels different. I've never seen f7 and not clearing. Like everything else in the last 10 days it cleared at t-4 but on the outbound, 6 of us cleared at the gate which is really strange.

I was on an A321T with J10 and I didn't clear until T-5.... usually I clear a few days out if it's J10. C inventory was 7 out a few days prior to departure but I didn't want to spend a SWU on what I knew would clear... But yes the trend seems to be later and later.

J10?? Interesting...

Where can you see any inventory > 7 ???

321T is unique because there's real demand for last-minute premium cabin bookings.

I was on 1441 jfk-las on Fri. 3/13, EF showed F7 for days before dep.; I cleared at T-4. On the return flt. 44 on 3/16, also F7, I cleared at T-100.:confused:

This

Sorry I meant J7, but seat map only had 10 seats selected. Sorry, new to Expertflyer and I know that seat map is not an indication of inventory.

T-100 seems a fond distant memory.

My major annoyance is missing the t-24 meal selection.

It used to be that I would see this for tight F cabins, or even when Y was getting oversold ...but it is clear that they are much more restrictive. Not absolute, as in 'there is a new blanket policy', but virtually never clear at 100.

Good news, if you are EXP or an F flyer and make last minute changes, there is a much higher likelihood of F seats will be there up to the end.

Some recent T-24, but most are even later. These are not flights with much paid F demand. Not sure what is going on, but it seems pretty ugly right now.

I also dislike most missing the meal ordering window.

Finally, getting a lot more 'guarantee the upgrade' sales message on the aa.com order screen which I have never seen prior to this year. So, clearly, a lot of tweaking going on behind the scenes.

Rasheed