AA, please change your standby/upgrade procedure for first class tickets!
Dec 18, 2017, 10:27 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
My bet is those that don't buy F like the situation where they get free upgrades at the expense of those that do pay for F while those that buy F tend to think they should have priority over those hoping for a free upgrade. I also surmise that neither group is open to changing their viewpoint on this.
Dec 18, 2017, 10:57 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Escondido, CA
Programs: US Chairman no more. AA EXP
Posts: 682
All paid F is not the same. OP had the option to upfare to J or D and be confirmed. Really no different than someone buying an O fare on a 9 PM flight because it's cheap and trying to SDC to a 5 PM that originally cost several hundred more.
Dec 18, 2017, 11:15 pm
#33
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
First, how does this in any way justify prioritizing the person who purchased an O fare hoping to be upgraded over someone who purchased an I fare expecting to fly in first class?
Second, everyone on the upgrade list also has the option to "upfare" and be confirmed. Why should the person who paid for first class be the one who has to "upfare" to fly in first class?
Third, your point actually only highlights the disconnect between the SDCFC policies for first and economy. With economy, someone with a cheap O fare can confirm onto a flight, even if the only available seats are in a much more expensive fare bucket. With first, there is no such option.
Last edited by flyingeph12; Dec 18, 2017 at 11:20 pm
Dec 18, 2017, 11:45 pm
#34
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
What UA does is open up the cheap fare classes within a few hours assuming the flight is not overbooked (or close) which allows customers on lower fare classes to do a confirmed change rather than standing by. AA could adopt a similar strategy.
Dec 19, 2017, 3:04 am
#35
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Posts: 7
If you are paid F/C, make sure they list you as an RF which places your name on top of the upgrade standbys. RF applies as long as you weren't upgraded into F/C.
You can still be topped but only by those who purchased F/C and got involuntary rerouted into Y or by those who were moved up a cabin to accomodate oversales in the back.
You can still be topped but only by those who purchased F/C and got involuntary rerouted into Y or by those who were moved up a cabin to accomodate oversales in the back.
Dec 19, 2017, 6:17 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
To everyone saying that coach upgrades should come before paid first class tickets looking to go standby:
Just what is the benefit to buying a first class ticket if it results in you getting only a coach seat if you want to go standby on another flight? It makes no sense to buy one. (I understand that you still get the bonus miles even if you're downgraded, but that's ancillary.)
Just what is the benefit to buying a first class ticket if it results in you getting only a coach seat if you want to go standby on another flight? It makes no sense to buy one. (I understand that you still get the bonus miles even if you're downgraded, but that's ancillary.)
Dec 19, 2017, 6:26 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Just what is the benefit to buying a first class ticket if it results in you getting only a coach seat if you want to go standby on another flight? It makes no sense to buy one. (I understand that you still get the bonus miles even if you're downgraded, but that's ancillary.)
Dec 19, 2017, 6:29 am
#38
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Rolling Lakes Yacht Club
Posts: 4,985
My biggest gripe has more to do with educating the agent on the phone that same day changes are free. I make changes maybe a half dozen times a year, and at least 75% of the time I get the answer of $75, followed by 5 minutes hold while they call the rate desk to figure out how to do it.
Dec 19, 2017, 6:30 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: AA EXP / 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Gold
Posts: 198
If this is really the correct procedure, I'm not going to buy any more domestic first tickets. I pay 3x the amount of the Y ticket and end up worse off than if I had bought the Y ticket and done a SDFC the day before in economy and then I would have most likely been at the top of the upgrade list like I usually am.
If you want more of my money, AA, process first class standbys BEFORE doing upgrades!
If you want more of my money, AA, process first class standbys BEFORE doing upgrades!
Not worth the cost if you are buying discount Y, but in your case, it might be.
Dec 19, 2017, 6:53 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
Anyone with paid F should trump an upgrader, no?expensive than F fares for another flight. If this is allowed then I could game the system by buying a discounted F ticket on
a less expensive flight and then asking for a confirmed standby for a more expensive flight of my convenience...
Dec 19, 2017, 7:12 am
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
There are two key codes to remember when traveling on paid F tickets domestically.
RF as noted above is for standby on a paid F ticket. These will clear above any UPG requests.
Even higher than RF however is DSR. DSR are people traveling on paid F tickets who for whatever reason (usually IRROPS) have been forced to take a seat assignment in Y. So they are confirmed on the flight, they have just been downgraded from what they paid for.
DSR will trump RF.
I have had issues with agents not knowing these codes especially in small outstation airports.
RF as noted above is for standby on a paid F ticket. These will clear above any UPG requests.
Even higher than RF however is DSR. DSR are people traveling on paid F tickets who for whatever reason (usually IRROPS) have been forced to take a seat assignment in Y. So they are confirmed on the flight, they have just been downgraded from what they paid for.
DSR will trump RF.
I have had issues with agents not knowing these codes especially in small outstation airports.
Dec 19, 2017, 7:16 am
#44
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,261
UA does the same. I stopped flying UA when I had a full paid F Asia-Ord-YYZ that arrived into Chicago early, and I wanted to standby for an earlier ORD-YYZ flight.
They upgraded a Y pax into the only F seat, and offered me the Y seat. That was my last UA flight for some years.
They upgraded a Y pax into the only F seat, and offered me the Y seat. That was my last UA flight for some years.