Randyk47

Government will only authorize coach so wife is stuck with that for her business travel. Luckily it's 99% domestic SAT>IAD/DCA through DFW and return. She's AA Plat but upgrades have been hard this year on her typical route. My consulting work is for a company under a DoD contract so all travel is coach with an occasional upgrade. For our personal travel we book first/business and a lot, in fact all over the past four years until last week, has been International long haul. Just spent a week in Cabo flew first/business SAT>DFW>SJD and return. Next is a trip in March to Puerto Rico also booked first/business.

CMK10

I do on about 25% of my trips though that number is steadily increasing. Sadly, I'm usually doing it on Delta. Their discount First Class is often very competitive from RDU while AA is not. Example: I needed to get back from ORD to RDU in January. AA wanted $325 for Y or $375 for F. Delta wanted $124 for Y or $224 for F. Sure, it means a connection but I went with Delta.

Eastbay1K

My company policy is that for flights at approx. 2 hours or more, I buy the least expensive premium cabin ticket on pretty much any airline. Preference to those that I can dump the earnings into the AS mileage bank. Preference to those that I can get a real jet (one without gate checking the carry-on) for the entire trip. My company policy is the same as for my personal travel. My company has one person.

These policies have actually kept me as an AS top elite. Otherwise, I'd probably have matched/challenged to AA given my flying patterns. I like the freedom of not being a slave or a whore re: any particular airline.

socalduck

I almost always buy discounted domestic F, plus the occasional transcon J. International i always buy J, and SWU to F if 3 class plane. For this year I will re qualify for EXP with just over 100k points, but only about 70k BIS.

Noctilux

Hi All;

On two separate occasions I have priced J international tickets and found that the F seats are cheaper.

Last year it was a DFW/NRT flight and early next year I have a MIA/LHR flight and both there was sizable discount from J for F.

"Forget about it Jake, it's the airlines"

Superguy

DFW-ICN has had some really good I/P fares too. < 5K confirmed in F? Yes, please.

It's not as flexible as some tix, but it's been great when I can get it. I've paid more for Y at times.

alexcturner

i do sometimes, depending on price and /or distance. However, when on AA.com it offers you certain benefits if you buy first (and you have chosen economy.) I am finding out the hard way that "SAME DAY FLIGHT CHANGE" really does not mean same day flight change. I am on the phone w AA now and they are claiming they do not know what aa.com offers

Randyk47

We've had that happen a number of times. One agent was honest enough to tell us the obvious though strange fact......we could book flights cheaper on AA.com than she was permitted to book for us.

zpaul

I've found that to be the case occasionally from EZE to the US, as well, especially on the daytime flight to MIA.

ricktoronto

I only buy refundable F or J on any airline. Trying for upgrades is like mooching and praying and refunds and changes are way easier with full fare tickets.

And I use travel agents only who handle changes and refunds better than an airline ever will.

Another advantage is that elite status doesn't matter when you pay for what elite status includes. No doubt on lounges, which seat, the works. The airline suddenly doesn't matter either. Whoever has the best schedule, and price. Copa one day, Continental (or whatever it's called now) the next, TACA/Avianca, best deal gets the business.

Col Ronson

AANYC1981

I'm happy to pay for FC on Delta....not on AA.

megamike

if aairpass instant upgrade counts then I do it all the time

qukslvr619

I often find myself buying F instead of Y if the cost difference isn't all that much more and I don't want to play the upgrade game. I noticed that pre-merger, AA had a substantial cost difference, usually about 50-60%+ over F, where US was about 25% over Y. Now it seems, AA has returned to pricing models for F that are similar to pmAA.

But lately I don't know if I can justify either the difference, $600+ on most of my trips, or paying for upgrades. My usual routes require 6 500 upgrade certs each way which at the current price is $180 OW or $360 RT. So here is why I'm more apt to fly DL or UA. So for instance STLSEA on AA in Y is $450 then I add $360 for upgrades, that's $800+. Though if I fly UA, I can buy Y for about the same, play the upgrade lottery for free or buy F outright for $877.

If AA had a phenomenal F product, then maybe it would justify the premium. if they think they can fill F more power to them, but I think they would be more apt to price F at a point where someone would be more apt to buy it over Y than to just not pay for upgrade certs/buy up. I'm not saying UA or DL are the best, but they are pricing their F at more reasonable levels where someone would easily pay the difference.

FlightNurse

Before the merger US would have some fares, EX PHX-JFK in restrictd FC was $600 RT, Restricted Y was $430/RT I'd pay the $170 difference to fly F and get the extra miles...


There were many other examples of this which was a no brainer to pay the extra $ to fly F.