Flying Ord to bos on AA and on QR from Bos to Doha next week on AA biz award. I am on the waitlist for first on the AA flight. New to EXP this year, how does that waitlist work.. Does it matter that it's an award ticket ..i understand the exp spend hierarchy rules but how does the award factor in?

Yes. Award tickets (regardless of voluntary downgrade) will be at the bottom of the list with in the elite class status. So in other words, you will be in front of all platinum pros but at the end of all EXP.

Exactly what happened to me a few days ago, except it was DFW to LHR.

I don't have great success to/from PBI given many leisure folks book first on this route. It's especially tough during the winter months when many people flock to Florida, but it's been easier for me in the summer. My trips to Florida tend to be on the weekends, so not sure about during the week upgrade success. If you take a look at ExpertFlyer or the seat map, I've noticed that these flights either fill up well in advance or stay relatively light (i.e. not a lot of last minute J/F tickets like JFK/LAX).

Wow. I thought the op-up on AA was about as evasive as the legendary chupacabra.

Nice to see it still happens to someone from time to time.

Quick update - didn't get the email from ExpertFlyer that seats came open for our desired early-April flight from DEN-ORD-FCO, but checked in and forced a search on my agent and it showed available. Booked the flights, called EXP desk, and voila - 2 SWUs consumed for First on DEN-ORD and Business ORD-FCO (787-800). Wait listed for the return, but the outgoing was what we wanted most.

Excited is an understatement! Nothing like getting it confirmed at booking and not having to hope we get upgraded at T-100!

Assuming you're on the complimentary upgrade (500 mile upgrade) waitlist, you'll be lower on the list than all Concierge Keys and will also be behind all EXPs on revenue tickets. You'll be in front of other EXPs on award tickets if your 12 month rolling EQDs are higher than theirs (otherwise, they'll be ahead of you). You'll be ahead of all PLT PRO, PLT, GLDs, and non-status passengers.

Where you'll fall on the list for ORD-BOS as an EXP is highly dependent on day of the week and time. On elite-heavy flights, you may not clear at all. Other flights may not clear until the gate, and some lighter flights will actually clear at the window (100 hrs prior to departure). This can be tough to predict if you aren't familiar with the particular route, but that's my experience with most flights out of ORD to the northeast -- highly day/time dependent, just like many other potentially elite-heavy routes.

One other note (since you seem to have a business class award ticket, but I guess no business availability on the ORD-BOS segment?)...
In the past, these mixed award tickets have sometimes been handled as business class tickets where you're "awaiting a business class seat assignment." In other words, you paid the business class price, but got a coach seat, so I've had airport agents list me as "desired" for the premium cabin (e.g. DSR), which could potentially give you higher priority on the waitlist than even concierge keys requesting complimentary or instrument upgrades. However, I haven't attempted this recently, so with all the AAdvantage changes in the last year or two, including the transition from SABRE to Qik, I don't know whether you'll still be able to find an agent willing (or even able) to list you this way. Perhaps someone else with recent experience in this area could chime in as well.

I'm certainly not a DFW-PBI regular, but I've flown in/out of PBI multiple times the past few years. I've found that, as another poster mentioned, there seems to be quite a bit of paid J on these flights, and AA often holds back upgrades a bit later on these routes. I've always cleared when I've waitlisted an upgrade to/from PBI, but they've tended to clear quite late.

I'm not sure the proximity to MIA is particularly a factor -- it's just that PBI seems a bit like SNA in relation to LAX -- smaller airport which is likely more convenient/close to home for those who use it, and in these higher income areas, there is likely a fair number of paid J bookings.

C / U Inventory DFW to Europe Summer 2019
 

I know AA has been very stingy with award and upgrade inventory lately. However I am seeing no business class saver availability at all for this Summer to Europe from DFW. I also was checking C inventory and it is also zeroed out. Am I missing something?

I tried to do this a couple of weeks ago - I had purchased a Business sAAver award, but the first segment was in coach. When I got to the FL, I asked if I should be listed higher for the upgrade for the first segment (I was #9 , and coded as an upgrade for an award ticket). The first agent had no idea what I was requesting, but the AAgent next to her agreed with me. They tried for about 10 minutes ( I left to get something to eat) to list me correctly. When I came back, the second AAgent said I was listed correctly. I didn't push it, since the flight was full, after 2 days of IRROPs. I didn't think I had any chance to clear, so let it go. So I'm not sure if it was a Qik or a Sabre issue, but know that in the past I've requested this, and been at the top of the list (and cleared).

These aren't nearly as tied as they used to be. Also... is the U space you're seeing on BA metal?

Yes and oddly only one specific date, it keeps wanting to route me through LHR but oddly no other dates are available even on BA....

thanks

interesting. I totally understand the I didn't push it sentiment ...ill see what happens next Wed, or before, but thanks for the advice and data point.