VIP Upgrades (difficulty of using SWU)
Mar 31, 2018, 2:55 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA explat 5.6 MM, Hilton Diamond for life
Posts: 39
VIP Upgrades (difficulty of using SWU)
There used to be a time when the VIP was automatic, now regardless of when you try and use them they never seem to be available. An agent told me today that they do not release them until closer to the flight on the chance someone might buy the seat....I get that and that is what i expect on my explat upgrades but VIP's used to be special....now not so much! AA "Going for Great"????? Going for mediocre is more like it. Certainly no real VIP experience these days.
YUK, Stars!
YUK, Stars!
Mar 31, 2018, 5:09 pm
#2
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
There used to be a time when the VIP was automatic, now regardless of when you try and use them they never seem to be available. An agent told me today that they do not release them until closer to the flight on the chance someone might buy the seat....I get that and that is what i expect on my explat upgrades but VIP's used to be special....now not so much! AA "Going for Great"????? Going for mediocre is more like it. Certainly no real VIP experience these days.
YUK, Stars!
YUK, Stars!
It’s still possible to find inventory and apply SWU, but it’s harder to do so since AA has decreased capacity, reduced the size or eliminated upper class cabins and changed the wait list priority to favor status (in order, CK, EP etc.) followed by last 12 months’ EQD spend.
Apr 1, 2018, 2:51 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
I am 4/4 on Y-->J longhaul SWUs in 2018, 3 of which cleared at booking. The other cleared a month before the (upcoming) flight.
I have still never missed an SWU during my years as EXP.
I find no issues with SWU availability. YMMV.
I have still never missed an SWU during my years as EXP.
I find no issues with SWU availability. YMMV.
Last edited by bse118; Apr 1, 2018 at 3:21 am Reason: Typo
Apr 1, 2018, 4:13 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
I'm 5 for 5 on TPAC sectors in the last two months and in my history of an EXP I've only ever missed one; a Sat night HKG flight. So agree with bse.
My coworker who flies United almost never gets upgraded when we travel to Asia and I'm always up front. And he has to buy more expensive fares just to try to use his GPUs. And my friends who fly DL struggle to use their GUCs too. We have it better than they do. The reality is that today airlines hardly release confirmable space. I find that the c space usually comes available a few days before flying, with my upgrade sometimes coming day of.
My coworker who flies United almost never gets upgraded when we travel to Asia and I'm always up front. And he has to buy more expensive fares just to try to use his GPUs. And my friends who fly DL struggle to use their GUCs too. We have it better than they do. The reality is that today airlines hardly release confirmable space. I find that the c space usually comes available a few days before flying, with my upgrade sometimes coming day of.
Apr 1, 2018, 4:14 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: GIG
Programs: AAdvantage ExP 1MM, Smiles/GOL Diamond, TudoAzul/AZUL Diamond, HHonors Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 190
Apr 1, 2018, 5:14 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
Apr 1, 2018, 1:58 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA explat 5.6 MM, Hilton Diamond for life
Posts: 39
better luck than I
You have much better luck than i do. I have tried to get my wife upgraded on 6 domestic legs in the last 4 months with only one coming on the day of and of course we were unable to sit together.
Apr 1, 2018, 7:32 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
UA has a similiar feature (shows R fare when you're logged in and specify W or higher,) but higher fare required and seems like less availability than AA.
Apr 2, 2018, 2:08 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,314
Apr 2, 2018, 8:45 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: United Premier Platinum
Posts: 638
Not only am I 4/4 on SWUs for the year and 4/6 on Miles+copay upgrades last year (all to/from Japan, including some weekend flights), but those upgrades were confirmed on super cheap Y tix. Even assuming a similar success ratio on UA/DL, purchasing that many upgradeable tickets on either of those carriers would be prohibitively expensive.
Apr 2, 2018, 8:56 am
#14
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,449
I've heard direct, anecdotal evidence in the past (early 2010s) of the EXP desk clearing SWUs when EF was not showing publicly available C, which suggests that EXP-only C inventory was available at one point. Not sure how common it was.
Apr 2, 2018, 9:06 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
Same here - I've never missed an upgrade as an EXP in my 8 consecutive years as an EXP. I've had a couple come down to the wire, but they've always cleared. I'll admit, as the business cabins shrink, it could get more difficult. I've never had to waitlist on a 787 or A 330. When I've flown on those, I've purchased business, or been able to confirm at the time of booking (rare, but it does happen).