MsEverywhere

I'm scheduled on AA909 on 9/3, which is sold as 2 class flight.

Hopefully my U/G will clear. Would I have a chance to request the lie-flat seat in F cabin? My friend is on Biz award, would he also have chance?

upinsmoke

As EXP, you get to request it. Not sure about your friend.

Microwave

If someone is on a business class award, the domestic segment on a 2-class aircraft would book into first, irrespective of aircraft or seat type. Thus your friend should be booked into first on a domestic 777 sold as 2 classes. This isn't about chances–unless he specifically agreed to a downgrade on this segment, he should be ticketed in first. If he did agree to a downgrade, he should slot in above upgraders on the PALL list at the airport.

MsEverywhere

Sorry, I should have explained this is Intl, MIA-EZE.

Often1

AA may either close off the cabin and not use it or simply increase the # of J seats sold and place EXP's or perhaps those paying full fare in the F seats. Either way, the service would be and would be marketed as J. Simply a nicer seat.

SeattleDavid

If this is 2-Class International 777 then surely it is a reconfigured one without an F cabin?

So, no-one gets F unless they sub an unreconfigured one?

Often1

I thought that OP is referring to the situation where a 3-class bird is used on a 2-class route.

MsEverywhere

The seat map looks like unreconfigured, with F 1-2-1 and J 2-3-2.

It also looks like F isn't blocked off, I see 1D & G assigned.

Microwave

OK OK... Some nomenclature problems here. There is no first class on an international flight operated with 2 classes... though in this case there's a first class cabin that's not being sold as first... That's where I got thrown off. If you've got an international flight with a 777-200 that's being sold as 2 class but operated by a pre-CIP 3 class aircraft, it's a bit of a free-for-all for who gets the good seats. They should be held back for elites, but closer to departure it should be possible for anyone to snag them if they're still available.

Austin787

Interestingly, the other MIA-EZE flight 931 is sold as 3 classes. Could be AA intends to operate flight 909 with a 2 class 777-200, but hasn't updated the seat map yet. Usually, if an international flight is scheduled with a 3 class 772, it is sold as 3 classes. Expert Flyer shows the F seats on AA909 as premium only, which implies only available to elites.

ThreeJulietTango

It looks like AA might going back to the "carve-out" experiment from a few months ago.

AA909/03SEP is currently scheduled to operate with a 3-cabin 777, with both the F and J cabins sold as Business. This way, if a 2-cabin 777 is subbed onto the route, they're not involuntarily downgrading First Class customers. Selection of seats in the F cabin is reserved for elites and full-fare fliers, but the service will be the same.

Then again, 909 is currently operated by a 2-cabin 777 sold as 2-class so it could very well be that the seat map hasn't been updated yet.

Cupart

Here are my findings...

I'm OW Sapphire and my partner Ruby. We have a MIA-EZE-MIA flight coming up at the end of September in J.

The first 4 rows are open to choose any seat except row 1 which is all "taken" as well as the main J cabin down to and including row 13.

So, I did a dummy booking for the exact same dates but w/o a FFN and the front cabin all showed up as blocked. First was not an option when choosing flight 909 or 908 on the same dates as my "real" booking so this is clearly a 2 class cabin only and by the looks of it the F cabin is reserved for Elites in OW...

Now this said, I was able to reserve seats up in the front some time back but got kicked back into the main J cabin as it got blocked off again. Now in the meanwhile it opened up once again...

MsEverywhere

Yes, I was just reading your thread. Before that I had just gotten off from the EXP line. They said it's only available to purchased Business.

My U/G hasn't cleared yet, but the flight looks fairly open so I think it should clear. I'll keep you posted.

georgeroads

When I traveled back in May on a J ticket it allowed me to book my return in the 16 seat F section. When I went to print boarding pass my seat became unassigned so of course I was freaking that I may get a middle seat in J on a paid ticket that I had for months! When I arrived to EZE, and I was one of the last to check in, I got my original F seat. There was no F service, it was sub-J service with discount Y attitude! Surreal! Truly one of the worst service experiences.

MsEverywhere

I was able to book the F cabin online, and called EXP line to move my friend.

On Expertflyer, I set an aircraft change alert and a seat available alert (in case my seat becomes available). So I hope and think that should work to either keep my seat or be notified right away of change.