This time last year I bought a ticket dfw-pvg. C space everywhere to redeem at booking. Nothing now. You sure you want to risk sitting in coach for a 14 hour trip? Not me.

Last week dfw-sea and back. Was #11 and 14 on the upgrade list respectively. 1 person cleared on the outbound, 2 on the return.

I woudn't be sitting in coach; I thought I typed that I'm planning to buy PE (I need the EQM). Of course one should never expect an upgrade, but it would certainly be nice to get. I've been in coach on CO EWR-HKG, and UA HKG-ORD and I somehow survived. Plus multiple trips on AA between DFW and NRT.

Anyone else have any input on if DFW-PVG or LAX-PVG (and the reverse) would be better choices for SWU upgrade to business?

When I was looking for a trip to PVG I was seeing more open seats on the LAX-PVG_LAX route then through DFW.

my flight back from MXP to JFK showed C availability probably 36 hours before flight. Had to call in to get it processed. Several more people got upgraded at the gates. Not sure why they didn't clear people earlier when there were 15 J seats empty less than 4 days out.

On the other hand... just cleared DFW-BNA on Friday night with my spouse at T100.

I have generally had very good luck on upgrades on LAX-PVG.

Could anyone with an Expert Flyer subscription do a quick search on AA43 from VCE to ORD on 10/18 and let me know how it's looking as far as remaining J seats and if there is any C upgrades available? Thanks in advance!!

j2 r2 d2 i0 y7 b7 h7 k7 m7 l7 g7 v7 s7 n7 q7 o7 e7
c = 0

Thanks! Not looking promising.

Having difficulty finding any C availability out of LAX to NRT/HND/HKG and back in the Dec-Jan timeframe. Is this something that tends to open up closer to the date, and it's best off just to waitlist and hope? Any days that tend to be better?

Of course things will open up the closer to the date it gets. As with pretty much all longhaul flights on AA, the chances of upgrades clearing increase tremendously if you can travel midweek, especially Tues or Wed and to some extent Mon & Thurs depending on the route.

In Dec. and Jan., there can be some busy days on the weekends before and after Xmas & New Years, but the weekdays around this time are typically goldmines for both C space and also premium cabin sAAver awards. A midweek flight on any of those routes should be an easy upgrade clear if you don't mind waitlisting.

Yeah, just weighing the risks of potentially paying more for a Y AA flight that's not guaranteed to upgrade vs. using miles to outright book J on other carriers. More just having a problem using the SWUs than anything.

Yep.

I DO mind waitlisting but all the AA apologists will say I’m being dramatic or that annoying “YMMV”.

SWU redeemability at booking has dropped considerably.