ijgordon

That's X/R inventory (now just R I think, with the premium cabin fare class realignment); these were removed from ExpertFlyer (and I guess all GDSs?) several years ago, unfortunately.

sensei

Correct, there used to be a way to view X/R inventory. Not anymore. Even AA agents can't see it.

phazedowt

I wanted to add a data point here. I'm on LHR-ORD tomorrow and was still waitlisted despite C inventory showing up. I called the EXP desk and got the "there are seats open but you're still waitlisted, unfortunately." Then I tried the tact of "I had noticed when looking for other flights to change to that this one says systemwide upgrade available on it, so I was confused about the waitlist." Next thing I know, I'm on hold and a minute later, I'm sitting in 6L.

ijgordon

If that didn't work, I wonder what happens when you say -- well take me off the waitlist. And then 30 seconds later you say - I see there are upgrades on this flight, please confirm one for me.

phazedowt

That would have been my next move. I do wonder if I end up "jumping ahead" of others in the list when they manually clear me.

beachfan

asf-07

Let us know how long the upgrade list is at the airport. That will be a dead giveaway.

Catbert10

I no longer see any downsides to taking yourself off the upgrade list and then asking for an upgrade, when C inventory is available. Under the new waitlisting priority system, time of request isn't particularly important so if you aren't immediately confirmed you will go back on the list at the same spot where you were before.

iadisgreat

​​​​​​I wonder if adding or removing someone from the WL triggers some kind of check for inventory - in that case, removing yourself would be a negative.

​​​​

ijgordon

Right, I would think the only risk would be that the waitlist processes in that brief moment of time between being removed from the waitlist and then clearing directly into C. It would seem to have to be a very unfortunate case of coincidental timing, unless, as iadisgreat speculates, removing a pax from the waitlist somehow triggers the waitlist clearing mechanism. I have a hard time seeing why they would program the system like that, however, and I would suspect it's more of a time-based sweep. Just like the ExpertFlyer alerts are. And we know anecdotally that sometimes the EF sweep runs "first" and notifies you of space, and sometimes the waitlist clearing sweep runs first and you clear before ever being notified of the inventory. But hard to get more granular than that on timing.

AA should really be better syncing the release of inventory and the waitlist clearing, but as long as they don't, FTers will be here to try and exploit those timing differences. I suppose that's why they've made it "difficult" to call in and manually clear yourself, but I don't see how they can outright prevent it unless they just flat-out prohibit clearing any booking directly into C without it first running through a waitlist, even if nobody else is on it at the time. Kind of a waiting period before buying a firearm. Lol. But that would be highly annoying.

phazedowt

Well, the list at the airport is empty (and the cabin is booked full), so this looks like a case where I would have been cleared regardless.

Zacnlinc

I'm curious why I am only being upgraded on the Intl legs of a trip I have next week were there's C inventory for the domestic legs too. The agent says she's only able to clear the intl legs and let the system upgrade me as the flight gets nearer. Then she placed me on hold but came back on the line with the same info. I accepted it as the domestic lights are just over an hour and the F cabin is 80% empty.

Interesting....

FlyerBeek

Zacnlinc

iadisgreat

This is actually what I was going to write in my other post, but didn't feel like typing it. AA could easily just make everyone get added to the list and always let the computer clear it. I find the queue jumping thing unsavory (though I only book flights where the upgrade is available and have no clue if I've accidentally benefited from it), so wouldn't mind this change. Plus, a lot less whining that way.