Is AA being nice re SWUs?
#16
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
I resisted the "extra step", but am now a believer in using ExpertFlyer to set notifications when C space opens up, and then calling AA to snag the upgrade. That procedure has worked twice for me to move from Premium Economy to Business on the LAX-HKG segment within one week of originally purchasing the ticket.
#17
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: AA EXP / 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Gold
Posts: 198
I have two upcoming trips to Europe in November and expect I’ll use a SWU on one and book J on the other.
#18
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
I'm convinced that most of the "SWU are useless" complaints are either domestic-only travelers or people who insist that if you can't confirm the upgrade at booking that upgrades might as well not exist. I have better than 80% eventual Y->J clearance on my transatlantic flights, and I'm a bottom-of-the-EQD-barrel EXP. And I fly when I have to fly - I don't get to rearrange schedules to maximize SWU chances.
#19
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
I wouldn't say they're worthless, but they are worth less than before. At least they're not UA. Keep your expectations in check and get used to it.
#20
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
I'm convinced that most of the "SWU are useless" complaints are either domestic-only travelers or people who insist that if you can't confirm the upgrade at booking that upgrades might as well not exist. I have better than 80% eventual Y->J clearance on my transatlantic flights, and I'm a bottom-of-the-EQD-barrel EXP. And I fly when I have to fly - I don't get to rearrange schedules to maximize SWU chances.
#21
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: LON, between FAB and EGTD
Programs: OWS - AA Lifetime Platinum, BA nobody (blue)
Posts: 864
As a data point, the trip I am currently on (LHR/JFK return, Y>J SWUs both ways confirmed immediately after purchase as C inventory was available) was booked in April. (Now if you can plan ahead 6 months, currently there's a mid-week paid J fare of £1300, which is, to my mind, not too bad.)
My bugbear this year with AA is that on both previous bookings using SWUs the EQDs awarded were wrong, short-changed by about 30%. My guess is something about the ex-LHR tax co-payment upsets the EQD logic. I don't think it's related to $/£ since I've had non-SWU trips credited correctly. Both times it was corrected eventually following email prods to CS. It looks like it's happening again on this trip, but can't be sure till I've flown the return leg.
My bugbear this year with AA is that on both previous bookings using SWUs the EQDs awarded were wrong, short-changed by about 30%. My guess is something about the ex-LHR tax co-payment upsets the EQD logic. I don't think it's related to $/£ since I've had non-SWU trips credited correctly. Both times it was corrected eventually following email prods to CS. It looks like it's happening again on this trip, but can't be sure till I've flown the return leg.
#22
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Programs: Hilton Dmd; AA Gld
Posts: 26
SWUs are of limited value for me personally. I've only been able to use three of mine this year and the fourth will probably expire unused. I'll end the year with around 145k EQM (assuming QR ever credits flights to my account). While it wouldn't be hard to snag an extra 5k for the extra SWUs, I just don't see the point.
I'm convinced that most of the "SWU are useless" complaints are either domestic-only travelers or people who insist that if you can't confirm the upgrade at booking that upgrades might as well not exist. I have better than 80% eventual Y->J clearance on my transatlantic flights, and I'm a bottom-of-the-EQD-barrel EXP. And I fly when I have to fly - I don't get to rearrange schedules to maximize SWU chances.
I wouldn't say they're worthless, but they are worth less than before. At least they're not UA. Keep your expectations in check and get used to it.
#23
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
I always chuckle when someone says this. Looking at your own words, on 3 occasions you were able to move from presumably a Y seat to a J seat. Now if used on international or transcon (which is what should be done), you moved from a $100's seat to a $1,000's seat. So you either saved money, personally, or were able to personally fly in a nicer seat that what you business pays for. I see value there.
The first two I used were applied to a TATL trip in April. I booked the trip at that time on AA (despite the weather) only because there was open C space. My destination was HEL, which necessitated some pretty inconvenient routings (BOS-PHL-ZRH-HEL//HEL-CDG-ORD-BOS) to make it work. Absent the SWU, I'd have flown BA instead (for convenience). It all worked out and was nice to be up front for cheap, but there were definitely trade-offs. I could have just as easily upgraded each TATL for 25k + $350; that's closer to what the SWU is actually worth, not 1000's.
The third SWU was used to upgrade paid J to F on LHR-JFK. Based on how poor F is on AA, it was a complete waste of an SWU. I only used it because I knew I'd have no further opportunities to use one this year. The remainder of my planned travel is on BA, QR and NZ.
So, yes, there is value in SWUs. But given that I don't live at an AA hub, the value is more limited for me.
Last edited by swingaling; Oct 11, 2018 at 6:18 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
Not sure we need another thread debating the "value" of SWUs but for me, this year alone, all Y-->J:
LHR-ORD
ORD-NRT
LHR-DFW
AMS-PHL
LAX-HND
NRT-DFW (* this was a BXP - but its the same inventory as SWU)
CLT-LHR
ORD-LHR
All cleared. Some at booking, some off the waitlist, all before the gate. Most on fare classes which wouldn't have been eligible for a UA GPU.
I don't particularly care when they clear - I care that they clear. And my experience is that they do clear. And that's what I'll judge the "value" based on.
LHR-ORD
ORD-NRT
LHR-DFW
AMS-PHL
LAX-HND
NRT-DFW (* this was a BXP - but its the same inventory as SWU)
CLT-LHR
ORD-LHR
All cleared. Some at booking, some off the waitlist, all before the gate. Most on fare classes which wouldn't have been eligible for a UA GPU.
I don't particularly care when they clear - I care that they clear. And my experience is that they do clear. And that's what I'll judge the "value" based on.
#26
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
It was relatively less stressful when they used to be confirmed so far in advance on a regular basis for long hauls.