DFW-EWR paid upgrades?
Mar 8, 2019, 7:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Houston
Programs: United Silver, Hyatt Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 195
DFW-EWR paid upgrades?
I will be relocating from Houston to Central Texas and will be equal diatance from Austin and DFW. I fly to EWR monthly on business and am curious how often I would get paid upgrade opportunities on a DFW-EWR route? My success is rate is about 90% currently on UA for paid F upgrades between IAH-EWR and I typically pay between $170-$190 per upgrade. Even better I typically book a lie flat aircraft which I know I won’t have on AA with this route. Does anyone have any experience with paid upgrades on the this route and what price range would I be looking at? Does the offer come up after booking as well as at check in? TIA
Mar 8, 2019, 7:49 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Rolling Lakes Yacht Club
Posts: 4,985
AA doesn’t offer the paid upgrades online ala UA and DL. You will physically have to call in and have an agent upfare you ticket and pay the fare difference between what your Y seat cost and the prevailing FC fare. There is also something call LBFU, which you can be offered any unsold FC seats only after all elites have been upgraded via the kiosk at the airport. I’ve never heard of the latter happening with any regular occurrence here.
Mar 8, 2019, 8:19 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
AA doesn’t offer the paid upgrades online ala UA and DL. You will physically have to call in and have an agent upfare you ticket and pay the fare difference between what your Y seat cost and the prevailing FC fare. There is also something call LBFU, which you can be offered any unsold FC seats only after all elites have been upgraded via the kiosk at the airport. I’ve never heard of the latter happening with any regular occurrence here.
Mar 8, 2019, 8:24 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Houston
Programs: United Silver, Hyatt Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 195
AA doesn’t offer the paid upgrades online ala UA and DL. You will physically have to call in and have an agent upfare you ticket and pay the fare difference between what your Y seat cost and the prevailing FC fare. There is also something call LBFU, which you can be offered any unsold FC seats only after all elites have been upgraded via the kiosk at the airport. I’ve never heard of the latter happening with any regular occurrence here.
Mar 8, 2019, 9:55 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Don't forget that you have the miles+copay option, which is reasonably attractive sometimes. It'll be 15k miles +$75 (on all domestic/Canada/Mexico/Caribbean flights), and you can waitlist right after booking. Your status will as always have a strong bearing on your success, but the miles+copay comes out of a different fare bucket (C) than the stickers/comp upgrades (R), so you have at least some chance as a lower-tier elite.
I'm an EXP, so I have a chance at a comp upgrade on every flight...as such I only use the miles+copay on transcons, or midcons with nice lie-flats (DFW-LAX on the 789 comes to mind), and only if I think my chances of clearing the comp are slim. Every once in a great while I might use such an upgrade on a lesser flight if I see there's C space open, in which case I can get it confirmed immediately...but if it's C0 I usually just wait and see about the comp if it's not one of those high-value, hard-to-clear flights. Hope that's helpful; good luck.
I'm an EXP, so I have a chance at a comp upgrade on every flight...as such I only use the miles+copay on transcons, or midcons with nice lie-flats (DFW-LAX on the 789 comes to mind), and only if I think my chances of clearing the comp are slim. Every once in a great while I might use such an upgrade on a lesser flight if I see there's C space open, in which case I can get it confirmed immediately...but if it's C0 I usually just wait and see about the comp if it's not one of those high-value, hard-to-clear flights. Hope that's helpful; good luck.
Mar 8, 2019, 11:18 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Amb Elite & LT Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,230
Well there are all of 4 flights from DFW to EWR and generally, aa charges $600-800 while LGA is $300-400.
Add in the number of CK traveling between DFW and NYC, good luck with UG. Roughly two weeks out F is already showing F1 on the prime time flights.
Add in the number of CK traveling between DFW and NYC, good luck with UG. Roughly two weeks out F is already showing F1 on the prime time flights.
Mar 9, 2019, 12:22 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: DFW/PHL
Programs: US CP, UA *G; SPG Plat, Hilton Gold; Natl Exec, Hertz PC
Posts: 623
I can clear complimentary upgrades on UA on DFW-EWR as a Gold and some Silvers clear too, especially when you are flying opposite the hub elites' prime times. I don't think I've ever cleared on AA as an EXP during prime times. I recommend flying UA if sitting in front is your primary objective. DFW-EWR is much easier upgrade than IAH-EWR on UA, since you were competing against hub elites on both ends.
Bear in mind that UA runs some of the flights on ERJs which borders on the uncomfortable for the length, and lacks hot meals.
Bear in mind that UA runs some of the flights on ERJs which borders on the uncomfortable for the length, and lacks hot meals.
Mar 9, 2019, 5:09 am
#9
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
If you are anywhere near GRK (you mention between AUS and DFW), check out fares from there. Last year I was looking at some fares from AUS on Google Flights and received a message, "fares from GRK are only $xxx and it is yy miles away." I flew from there and have to say it was one of the easiest airport experiences I've had.
Mar 9, 2019, 9:15 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
LFBUs are also offered at online checking. But yes, I wouldn’t expect them to be available that often. But possibly more likely to EWR than LGA. My last DFW-LGA flight at ~4pm on a Tuesday had over 30 elites on the upgrade standby list. .