No Upgrade with Gold (Empty first class seats)
Dec 2, 2018, 5:27 pm
#46
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
On the flip side, if your company covers PE or Biz for transcon flights (ask about their policy for 5+ hour flights), then weekly flights will put you in striking range of Concierge Key status. If that's the case, I'd definitely look at some EQD-earning mileage runs to put me over 40k EQD.
Dec 2, 2018, 5:36 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
Hello Fellow Flyers,
Had a rather unpleasant experience yesterday with American and wondering if someone can offer some insight. I currently have Gold Status and was flying from Charlotte, NC to Mexico City (over 500 miles). I asked the Gate Agent if there were any first class seats available and was told yes, but that I would have to use my 500-mile upgrades to pay for it. Even if the seats sat empty, they would not upgrade me to first class unless I paid using 500-mile upgrades.
Had a rather unpleasant experience yesterday with American and wondering if someone can offer some insight. I currently have Gold Status and was flying from Charlotte, NC to Mexico City (over 500 miles). I asked the Gate Agent if there were any first class seats available and was told yes, but that I would have to use my 500-mile upgrades to pay for it. Even if the seats sat empty, they would not upgrade me to first class unless I paid using 500-mile upgrades.
They have rules and first class or business in this case is not a free destination for anyone remotely eligible, particularly with the whole 500 mile certificate system existing for this very purpose. I have almost 100 that I never use that will die on the vine when I do but in this case I'd have jumped at the offer vs sit in coach.
Was it a case of cutting off the nose to spite the face? Where was the rudeness? Disappointing truthful answers are not rude, just disappointing.
Dec 2, 2018, 5:42 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
I agree in principle with the idea that having stickers instead of automatic-upgrade-at-all-tiers improves one's chances on the flights they care about. In practice, I'm a lot less sure. And this is definitely at the margin; on all of the big three, the first-approximation answer to "will I get an upgrade as a low-tier elite" is "no."
Dec 2, 2018, 7:29 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: RBK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 128
Let's not put silly ideas in the poor boy's head. There might be a couple 40k EQD CKs running around out there, but they did that in like 4 segments. The CK calculation appears to be profit-based, which means hitting the highest spend with the lowest miles. Transcons in J ain't gonna get you there for 40k.
ETA - Granted - all 3 do that level of travel year after year. I didn't ask how many years they were doing that level of spend before being granted CK
Last edited by jeffeverde; Dec 2, 2018 at 7:36 pm
Dec 2, 2018, 7:46 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
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I moved to the area a year ago... My only upgrade on AA (AA PLT) this year has been on Labor Day LAX-DFW... (My outbound the prior Friday also got upgraded, DAL-DFW on AS, as MVP Gold)
Dec 2, 2018, 9:40 pm
#51
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
My DW has 3 work associates who are CK. One flies to Europe monthly, plus some domestic, the other two are all domestic, and all have travel budgets in the 40-50k range. I don't know if who they work for (one of the big 4 accounting firms) might have influenced AA's decision - but all 3 say that they did not use company connections to get the status
ETA - Granted - all 3 do that level of travel year after year. I didn't ask how many years they were doing that level of spend before being granted CK
ETA - Granted - all 3 do that level of travel year after year. I didn't ask how many years they were doing that level of spend before being granted CK
Dec 2, 2018, 11:57 pm
#52
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
I'm still sticking with DL for now though - the actual travel experience has been better with them (not as much an LCC feel) which is more important to me than the FF program since I'm not much of frequent flier (compared to road warriors).
Edit: And welcome to FT, Raymond! Now that you know how it goes, keep in mind that if you do not have enough "stickers" you can still request the upgrades and you will pay $40 each if your upgrade clears.
Dec 3, 2018, 9:46 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Yeah, so true. My wife and I were successfully upgraded as AA Golds on a few flights. Now on DL and I see things like "41 of 46" on the upgrade lists. The use of stickers with AA does seem to give passengers pause before checking the box. And Skymile redemptions are like using AAnytime awards in value.
Dec 3, 2018, 9:54 am
#54
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Everybody wants a program which benefits their particular situation. That's entirely fair. But, it's not realistic.
Put simply. nobody turns down freebie UG's other than for social reasons. But, if forced to burn stickers, people who routinely fly on 501 mile+ flights have to either pick and choose or purchase lots of stickers. If Passenger A saves stickers for a TCON, he is not "competing" for that UG on a midcon. But, passenger B, who doesn't fly TCON, is willing to burn his stickers on the midcon and has a chance.
That leaves the empty seats issue. That is plain and simple brand maintenance and does not reward the gamesplaying that would lead to, e.g., "should I burn stickers for an UG which I met get anyway?"
Put simply. nobody turns down freebie UG's other than for social reasons. But, if forced to burn stickers, people who routinely fly on 501 mile+ flights have to either pick and choose or purchase lots of stickers. If Passenger A saves stickers for a TCON, he is not "competing" for that UG on a midcon. But, passenger B, who doesn't fly TCON, is willing to burn his stickers on the midcon and has a chance.
That leaves the empty seats issue. That is plain and simple brand maintenance and does not reward the gamesplaying that would lead to, e.g., "should I burn stickers for an UG which I met get anyway?"
Dec 3, 2018, 11:15 am
#55
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
Today during boarding while on the plane a pax asks if FC is full and the FAs reply was “FC is always full”
Dec 3, 2018, 11:34 am
#56
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO, MIA
Programs: AA 2MillionMiler, BA ExecutiveClub, UA MileagePlus, AS MileagePlan
Posts: 449
Dec 3, 2018, 4:33 pm
#57
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
Hello Fellow Flyers,
Had a rather unpleasant experience yesterday with American and wondering if someone can offer some insight. I currently have Gold Status and was flying from Charlotte, NC to Mexico City (over 500 miles). I asked the Gate Agent if there were any first class seats available and was told yes, but that I would have to use my 500-mile upgrades to pay for it. Even if the seats sat empty, they would not upgrade me to first class unless I paid using 500-mile upgrades. After dealing with a rude and unhelpful gate agent, I finally conceded to sit in the main cabin. When boarding the plane I again asked the Flight Attendant if it was true that they would let the seats in First Class sit empty rather than upgrading someone with Gold Status for free, they confirmed this was true. Is this really the case??
Had a rather unpleasant experience yesterday with American and wondering if someone can offer some insight. I currently have Gold Status and was flying from Charlotte, NC to Mexico City (over 500 miles). I asked the Gate Agent if there were any first class seats available and was told yes, but that I would have to use my 500-mile upgrades to pay for it. Even if the seats sat empty, they would not upgrade me to first class unless I paid using 500-mile upgrades. After dealing with a rude and unhelpful gate agent, I finally conceded to sit in the main cabin. When boarding the plane I again asked the Flight Attendant if it was true that they would let the seats in First Class sit empty rather than upgrading someone with Gold Status for free, they confirmed this was true. Is this really the case??
Dec 3, 2018, 8:34 pm
#58
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
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Posts: 10,416
It seems that whatever can be said about this scenario, and AA’s upgrade policy using 500-mile upgrades has already been said. So we will close this thread for now. Thanks for your participation. 
/Moderator
/Moderator