enpremiere

JJeffrey

C is the relevant inventory if you are looking to upgrade with a SWU or miles/copay. So if you're waitlisted for one of those, give AA a call and ask them to process the upgrade.

But C is not the relevant inventory if you're just looking for your EXP complimentary sticker/500mi/UDU upgrade (that is R, not viewable on EF with regards to upgrade space). Those can clear anytime from 100 hrs before right up to the gate. Even with a lot of seats open up front, it's very common for AA to wait till the day of departure before releasing any comp/sticker upgrade space.

tfizzle

I'm EXP flying LAX-JFK on July 4 and it was constantly showing J7, woke up Sunday morning, T-4 and got upgraded very early in the window. Must be an algorithm that said, Nah no one else is going to buy this flight. Still it is a 321B and happy for the upgrade and Flagship lounge on both ends.

HofstraJet

Also, on a route like MIA-JFK, they may hold space for misconnecting passengers and walk ups. Having been on all sides of the equation, I can't say any one method of allocating the seats is better than the others.

Cloudship

Ah, I always thought it pulled from C inventory!

krquake

I have tried to find a similar situation on here, so my apologies if this has been covered. I was already waitlisted on AA108 from LAX-LHR on January 15, hoping to use my final SWU for 2019. Due to all of this inventory opening up, I cleared a few days ago. I got no email, I was just in the record for something else and I noticed that I had been moved to business with no seat assignment, so I grabbed a seat. Usually it says something like "we can't show the flight details right now etc", but not this time, The record looks totally normal, just in business on that leg. I have never cleared really far out like this on LAX-LHR. My record still shows the upgrade as "requested" and they have not deducted an SWU from my account. It has been about a week. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

mikhailm

Call AA and ask them to reissue the ticket. From what I understand that should finalize everything, including the SWU deduction.

Jonesdds

I wanted to provide some feedback on C space opening up ahead of time from US to LHR. I had created many alerts in Expert Flyer to get from LAX/DFW/PHX across the pond to various spots in Europe. These were in the MId September to early November range and ideally I wanted to go LAX to LHR(only because it's the only NS) using my SWUs.
Surprisingly space opened LHR-LAX in early Nov. so I booked pretty cheap($575) RT econ tickets and applied 2 SWUs to the return that was showing space. In retrospect I wish I hadn't gotten so impatient, hopefully we don't have issues in late Oct getting the upgrades as well LAX-LHR.....what are the odds I won't?

What I've noticed is DFW to LHR RT space has become very plentiful for 2 or more seats various dates Oct 1-mid-early November. I'd say half of the days in the range have at one point or another showed space. Daily the last week or so I've had notices from Expertflyer on this. Also had a few LAX to LHR or LHR to LAX pop up, in fact a LAX to LHR two days prior to my current reservation. I inquired with the rep about changing, if they'd waive the change fees, of course they wouldn't budge. Thought about paying it anyway and changing the ticket but they talked me out of it, that I wouldn't have a problem closer to the date of the flight.

It's just too bad I wasn't more patient, could have gone from home airport SBA-Santa Barbara to Dallas then onto LHR for the same cost. Other routes that showed some well ahead of time availability were DFW to FRA(quite a bit, as much as to LHR) and some DFW to MAD and back although that was just a few days. I'd have never thought flying out of DFW would be the easiest way to use the SWUs

jcain

Not sure. The LAX-LHR flights in the few days prior looked like they were booked solid, so could have been misconnects/etc. from those overflowing to ours.

SeattleDavid

On 6/21 one of the BA flights was cancelled (the 789, probably because of RR engine issue) and flights were already quite well-booked, so it isn't surprising that everything filled up and upgrade and standby lists were long.

potus18

Do any FT members here have any anecdotal experience with Y to J upgrades on the 77W LAX-HND flight? I've done the trip a few times on the 789 and have either been able to upgrade at booking or the waitlist cleared 1+ mo in advance. Doing it for the first time on a 77W in October and am wondering if anybody has had to wait until boarding or didn't clear entirely. 15 or so seats taken this far out, J7 R7 D7 I7.

Dad to Rei

Looking to gain some insights if any are out there - I want to travel (2 of us) from PHL --> NRT in April 2020 using SWU's.

I am flexible on outbound travel days, can be Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday - any one better than the other
Any return day of the week particularly any better?
Is there a gateway that I am more likely to clear out of (assuming I can't find C availability), I am leaving from PHL - so have to connect (DFW/LAX/ORD - any better?)
Has this historically been a tough get, or an easy clear?

Thanks all

bse118

OMA-LAX: E75, Saturday morning, complimentary cleared at 100 hours

LAX-HND, 77W, Saturday morning, Y-->J, miles+copay, cleared around 30 hours (waitlisted 5 days before departure).

Saturday morning during a holiday weekend, so not exactly a typical business travel day. But had to be in Tokyo for Monday morning meetings - so flying Saturday it is.

Reetmafreen

Antarius

Interesting data point- am #6 on MIA-DFW. Which was surprising as an EXP with >25k rolling spend on a holiday weekend. Flight was J0 when booked, ended up in full fare Y somehow on this segment.

Nbd since it is a 772 and I have a PE window but was surprised to be this far down on a typically high volume leisure travel day (although there are probably EXP and CKs taking leisure trips too)