Speculation: survey about upgrades 23 Jul 2018 -- changes on the way?
#61
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
I'm assuming poster pays for J and is referencing inability to use stickers/UDU for J->F on transcons.
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,759
#64
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: QDF
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), Marriott Tit
Posts: 1,032
#66
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,376
I did receive the survey.
I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.
I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.
For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.
So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.
I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.
I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.
For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.
So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.
I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
#67
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.
So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.
I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
I'm outbound to SFO from PHL in two days booked in J on A332. Slowly the cabin has started to fill-up I've noticed. Rarely has there been a seat open in the PE section too. Guess that means lots of others (especially elites) are monitoring the flight.
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,122
#69
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,983
I'm perplexed by the number of FTer's who seem to think there is some magical happy land within the big US 3 airlines and if they just switch allegiences it will all be lollipops and ponies (i.e. upgrades to the pointy section of the plane)
Newsflash... they are all on the same path/trajectory.
Regards
#70
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
I did receive the survey.
I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.
I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.
For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.
So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.
I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.
I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.
For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.
So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.
I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
#72
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: PWM/KBXM/BGR; Work: DCA/DFW/Everywhere; Play: LAS/MUC/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, mlife Noir, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,630
I don't get it. Domestic upgrades are worthless to me because they don't apply to the transcontinental routes I fly. SWUs that don't clear at booking are equally worthless to me. The SWUs I can use on transcontinental often have a negative value (because C costs more than F).
Why shouldn't I respond to the survey? How does saying that negatively impact anyone?
Why shouldn't I respond to the survey? How does saying that negatively impact anyone?
1) i was mostly joking
2) it sounds like you're buying premium cabin already for all your flights, which means that status generally will provide little or no value to you (bonus miles and luggage tags, maybe a little extra baggage allowance?) -- but the point of airline loyalty programs for many (I'd maybe even say most) on this board is to get benefits for flights that we have to book in Y, whether it's business travel where OPM won't cover J/F or leisure travel for which we'd like to pay Y and travel J/F. As a non-DFW AA flyer, I find that AA does a great job of that for me... I was nervous about the EQD changes but really I've done much better as a 20-25k EXP than I thought I would. I even cleared LAX-JFK from coach to business (several days in advance, at that) the one time I didn't buy business, so I don't get the no-transcon comment unless you're referring to J-->F. so, my point would be that you are an outlier and I have an interest in having AA make changes based on my preferences and not based on yours
#73
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,983
<snip>Perhaps next comes a survey that would help a determine the downside of another series of downward adjustments to elite benefits - is there enough demand on a cash basis from those in Y to pay cash to get up to J (and to see how much) to more than cover the ticked off EXPs who may take their business elsewhere.
It's quite fascinating to me that many on FT, who seem to believe in capitalism and make a living trying to ensure their employers (and themselves) are profitable and over time become increasingly more profitable, seem to be in complete shock and dismay that airlines are actually attempting to become consistently profitable and increase shareholder value.
Regards
#74
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: In the sky.
Programs: AA- EXP 3mm, Marriott Titanium(Lifetime), *wood Plat, Hertz Pres. Circle, *bucks Gold, Joan Ranger
Posts: 781
Which would you prefer?
A) Use of Toilet
B) Use of Overhead Bins
C) Upgrade
D) Do more meetings virtual & not fly at all
A) Use of Toilet
B) Use of Overhead Bins
C) Upgrade
D) Do more meetings virtual & not fly at all
#75
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: In the sky.
Programs: AA- EXP 3mm, Marriott Titanium(Lifetime), *wood Plat, Hertz Pres. Circle, *bucks Gold, Joan Ranger
Posts: 781
Gordo once said It's the old adage: You can make a pizza so cheap, nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap, nobody will fly it."
Wingtipflier1 once said" You can make loyalty mean nothing, so you get no revenue from them"
Wingtipflier1 once said" You can make loyalty mean nothing, so you get no revenue from them"