How much has EQD thinned EXP ranks?
Aug 26, 2018, 9:15 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: PHL / SFO
Programs: free agent
Posts: 797
Back at EXP (thru Jan 2020) thanks to the easy status challenge AA ran this year. Admittedly I deliberately don't fly on road-warrior heavy days/times, but I've been surprised this year at how easily accessible the front cabin has been ... on two occasions there have been empty F seats, and a companion and I cleared an upgrade as golds (!!!), PHL-SFO on an equipment change A332 to B762.
Aug 26, 2018, 9:15 am
#32
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, AA MM, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 122
I was just wondering this week how may EXP have "given up" on upgrades and just buy premium cabin seats outright and just are happy to bank the extra miles and bonuses. I know I've been pretty happy with the growth of my account balance for the last two years as an EXP. Will cross over to EXP on Monday as I'm off to MIA in paid J.
Aug 26, 2018, 10:04 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Phoenix/Columbus
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Gold, US Airways silver
Posts: 1,717
Poor man's first class
This has to be the best explanation. I'll never complain about not getting an F seat. If I get a good coach seat I'm getting what I paid for. WFBF yes indeed--however I would never pay an additional $200 or $300 whatever to get 2 more inches of legroom and warm nuts if I'm lucky. I have better uses for my money.
YMMV.
YMMV.
Aug 26, 2018, 10:50 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,005
I would most likely splurge for this on the DFW-LHR flights I take a few times a year to see family. Then again I'm not sure what the hardened fast rules are for EXP's and Premium Economy--are they complimentary or not? If not what is the delta between PEY and Y anyway?
Aug 26, 2018, 5:02 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
There may be fewer EXPs than a year ago, I have no no idea. But even if there are fewer other changes have more than offset the effect.
There are certainly more EXPs than before the merger, and they are chasing not that many more F seats. I think there are fewer flights between AUS and DFW than before the merger, with a combined LAA and LUS elite pool chasing the fewer F seats. Yes, total seats available may be up, as most flights that used to be MD-80s are now A321s, but each plane still has 16 F seats. Tighter revenue management, one month less of eligibility, and more people buying premium tickets outright mean fewer opportunities to use the smaller number of SWUs we're granted. I certainly have buying more front cabin tickets than in the past. Long hold times for the EXP desk were very rare before the merger, but both the quantity and quality of agents have since diminished.
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
I say this as I have an AUS-DFW-SFO roundtrip this week for which two segments have cleared and F is full on the other two.
There are certainly more EXPs than before the merger, and they are chasing not that many more F seats. I think there are fewer flights between AUS and DFW than before the merger, with a combined LAA and LUS elite pool chasing the fewer F seats. Yes, total seats available may be up, as most flights that used to be MD-80s are now A321s, but each plane still has 16 F seats. Tighter revenue management, one month less of eligibility, and more people buying premium tickets outright mean fewer opportunities to use the smaller number of SWUs we're granted. I certainly have buying more front cabin tickets than in the past. Long hold times for the EXP desk were very rare before the merger, but both the quantity and quality of agents have since diminished.
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
I say this as I have an AUS-DFW-SFO roundtrip this week for which two segments have cleared and F is full on the other two.
Aug 26, 2018, 5:04 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EP, AA AC
Posts: 4,268
There may be fewer EXPs than a year ago, I have no no idea. But even if there are fewer other changes have more than offset the effect.
There are certainly more EXPs than before the merger, and they are chasing not that many more F seats. I think there are fewer flights between AUS and DFW than before the merger, with a combined LAA and LUS elite pool chasing the fewer F seats. Yes, total seats available may be up, as most flights that used to be MD-80s are now A321s, but each plane still has 16 F seats. Tighter revenue management, one month less of eligibility, and more people buying premium tickets outright mean fewer opportunities to use the smaller number of SWUs we're granted. I certainly have buying more front cabin tickets than in the past. Long hold times for the EXP desk were very rare before the merger, but both the quantity and quality of agents have since diminished.
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
I say this as I have an AUS-DFW-SFO roundtrip this week for which two segments have cleared and F is full on the other two.
There are certainly more EXPs than before the merger, and they are chasing not that many more F seats. I think there are fewer flights between AUS and DFW than before the merger, with a combined LAA and LUS elite pool chasing the fewer F seats. Yes, total seats available may be up, as most flights that used to be MD-80s are now A321s, but each plane still has 16 F seats. Tighter revenue management, one month less of eligibility, and more people buying premium tickets outright mean fewer opportunities to use the smaller number of SWUs we're granted. I certainly have buying more front cabin tickets than in the past. Long hold times for the EXP desk were very rare before the merger, but both the quantity and quality of agents have since diminished.
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
I say this as I have an AUS-DFW-SFO roundtrip this week for which two segments have cleared and F is full on the other two.
Safe Travels
Aug 26, 2018, 8:39 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: US Gold, DL, AA, UA
Posts: 145
I fly out of Memphis. There are a number of routes where Y is full but F is close ti empty especially on the CRJ900s. I may very well be an anamily because the Delta gates seem to have long upgrade lists so this may be a hub holdover situation
Aug 26, 2018, 10:10 pm
#40
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Somewhere...
Programs: AA PLT/3MM, UA GM/1MM, DL DM/1MM, FB Plat, AS MVP Gold, WN AList+
Posts: 1,588
There may be fewer EXPs than a year ago, I have no no idea. But even if there are fewer other changes have more than offset the effect.
...
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
...
If pre-merger AA policies and practices were still in place, an EQD requirement would have reduced EXP numbers and there would likely have been a discernible net positive for the EXPs who still qualified. But it's impossible to tease out any real effect from EQDs in the context of everything else that has happened to the system, which has been negative overall.
There are other places those dollars will be going the rest of the year...will finish with 60K EQM or so at the moment, but that will be it...
Aug 27, 2018, 4:17 am
#41
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Niwot, CO
Programs: AA XP, BA G, AS 100K, Hyatt G
Posts: 146
My rolling EQD is $25k and my upgrade waitlist is usually top 2; but my husband's rolling EQD is at the minimum $12k and it's very normal to see his waitlist down to #15 or lower on the busy routes, aka SFO/SJC-PHX or SFO/SJC-LAX. We are both EXP.
Aug 27, 2018, 5:49 am
#42
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 163
What I've wondered is why they bother showing your place on the upgrade list when you have no chance of clearing. 16F seats, showing past 20 is mathematically pointless. DFW-AUS I've seen myself in the 60s, what's worse, there were folks in the 80s behind me on the list. To me that tells me I'm not going to ever clear on that route, and reinforces that the upgrade value to me is zero.
Aug 27, 2018, 9:21 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 148
I had about $27k EQD last year and so far $16k this year but the year is not over. I had 100% upgrade this year including JFK - SFO route, JFK - MIA, etc. I have no complaints 
Update - Just cleared for upgrade for Friday's flight
Update - Just cleared for upgrade for Friday's flight
Last edited by Fine Art Landscape Photographer; Aug 27, 2018 at 10:18 am Reason: update
Aug 27, 2018, 9:30 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
Gold with about $8000 spend in the past 12 months. On a recent trip booked 3 weeks ago, was upgraded ex-ORD on a mainline < 500 mile flight at my 24 hour window. Shocking, considering the upgrade list at the gate was several pages long.
Also get a fair number of upgrades clearing out of PHL, some with certs others also <500 mile trips.
Also get a fair number of upgrades clearing out of PHL, some with certs others also <500 mile trips.