Where is the SWU available? (Are SWU usable / useful?)
Apr 29, 2019, 11:39 pm
#31
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
Playing the upgrade game is certainly your personal choice to make. I travel for work, so not interested in taking up gambling as a hobby. I don’t judge, but I don’t want to live that way.
SWUs are useless. AA knows that to be the case, which is why they’ve all but eliminated confirmable upgrade space.
SWUs are simply not useless—if it's not worth it to you to put in the work to figure out how to use them, that's a choice.
Apr 30, 2019, 6:01 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 466
They (SWUs) certainly became dramatically less valuable domestically ................................ Pre-realignment I found domestic Y->F upgrades on two cabin planes to be readily available (when the SWU booked into “A”); now that one has to search for “C” inventory to upgrade Y->F on two cabin planes domestically, they are virtually non-existent at time of ticketing IMO.
Apr 30, 2019, 10:51 am
#33
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,301
It's not gambling if you actually pay attention and know what you're doing. I've used all my SWUs for the past three years at least. Not a single one cleared at booking. And not a single missed upgrade. If you know a casino with those odds, let me know.
SWUs are simply not useless—if it's not worth it to you to put in the work to figure out how to use them, that's a choice.
SWUs are simply not useless—if it's not worth it to you to put in the work to figure out how to use them, that's a choice.
I won't take the chance that it doesn't clear. I regular miss SWUs on LAX-MIA 772s. Your experience on your routes and times doesn't mean I will have the same experience on my routes and times. I won't risk it on a TATL or a TPAC.
For me, they are completely worthless to me for TATL or TPAC travel.
Apr 30, 2019, 11:19 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
If that's your standard, I understand how they are worthless. I agree they almost never are confirmable at booking unless you are flying this afternoon. And even if you're flying this afternoon, they may not be confirmable at booking. But, I think they actually clear at a solid rate. For example, on a recent international trip, I happened to see that 12 of the seats were cleared as VIP1, aka SWU. I'm guessing none of those cleared at booking.
Apr 30, 2019, 5:38 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
I do not get any value whatsoever from the bird feeder the Audubon Society gave me for my loyalty. I'm not willing to go to the trouble of installing it and filling it, and rather than chance the possibility it won't result in pretty birds, I prefer to pay to go to the Zoo where I will be guaranteed sightings of pretty birds. Obviously, bird feeders are completely useless. The Audubon Society surely knows this, and...
Apr 30, 2019, 6:40 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I do not get any value whatsoever from the bird feeder the Audubon Society gave me for my loyalty. I'm not willing to go to the trouble of installing it and filling it, and rather than chance the possibility it won't result in pretty birds, I prefer to pay to go to the Zoo where I will be guaranteed sightings of pretty birds. Obviously, bird feeders are completely useless. The Audubon Society surely knows this, and...
Apr 30, 2019, 8:17 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
Good for you. They are not useless for you. It has nothing to do with "putting in the work" for me, as I put in the work for saver awards (usually on partners). I won't use SWUs internationally unless they are confirmable at booking, and they almost never are.
I won't take the chance that it doesn't clear. I regular miss SWUs on LAX-MIA 772s. Your experience on your routes and times doesn't mean I will have the same experience on my routes and times. I won't risk it on a TATL or a TPAC.
For me, they are completely worthless to me for TATL or TPAC travel.
I won't take the chance that it doesn't clear. I regular miss SWUs on LAX-MIA 772s. Your experience on your routes and times doesn't mean I will have the same experience on my routes and times. I won't risk it on a TATL or a TPAC.
For me, they are completely worthless to me for TATL or TPAC travel.
"Worthless to me [when I have fixed routes and times and will not wait list]" is also a very different argument than "Useless." Which is what the poster I was responding to said.
Apr 30, 2019, 8:35 pm
#40
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,301
Well, if you understand how saver awards work, then you understand that you can't just pick inflexible dates and times and throw up your hands if the flights you want aren't available. I'm not necessarily flying on my optimal routes and times—I'm flying when a SWU is extremely likely to clear. And so far I've been right.
"Worthless to me [when I have fixed routes and times and will not wait list]" is also a very different argument than "Useless." Which is what the poster I was responding to said.
"Worthless to me [when I have fixed routes and times and will not wait list]" is also a very different argument than "Useless." Which is what the poster I was responding to said.
I already said it was useful for you. And I agree with your point - categorical statements like "SWUs are worthless" (or "SWUs always clear") just takes one persons experience and inappropriately extrapolates.
Last edited by beachfan; Apr 30, 2019 at 8:55 pm
May 1, 2019, 12:29 am
#41
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London and Madrid
Programs: BA Gold, UA 2MM, Hyatt Globalist, Columbia Record & Tape Club Triple Diamond VIP
Posts: 577
Well, if you understand how saver awards work, then you understand that you can't just pick inflexible dates and times and throw up your hands if the flights you want aren't available. I'm not necessarily flying on my optimal routes and times—I'm flying when a SWU is extremely likely to clear. And so far I've been right.
"Worthless to me [when I have fixed routes and times and will not wait list]" is also a very different argument than "Useless." Which is what the poster I was responding to said.
"Worthless to me [when I have fixed routes and times and will not wait list]" is also a very different argument than "Useless." Which is what the poster I was responding to said.
Maybe this is a common occurrence for some people, but I don’t personally know of anyone who does this. If I did that I’d be single, unemployed or both.
I’m not willing to give up personal time to use an upgrade. I can’t see how else you’d do this without paying to fly by sacrificing your personal life.
If if you’re willing to give up personal time to use an SWU, all I can say is that you’re paying way more than I’d be willing to pay. I’d rather spend money than time. And other than traveling on personal time, I have no real choice about where or when I go. I can’t swap days or destinations to use an upgrade. I can’t imagine being able to do that.
May 1, 2019, 12:30 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
Some people seem to enjoy these things as a bit of a hobby. Good for you, I’m sure you find it to be a rewarding pastime and that’s your personal choice. But if SWUs are valuable to you, their value is as a game, an amusement. I have no interest in a parallel economy of games. My primary interest is in reducing the burden and inconvenience of long haul travel, part of of the way I earn my living.
So if you only fly for work, and I presume your work doesn't pay for business class—if so, why would you care/have ever cared about SWUs–do you just pay the fare difference instead of waitlisting your systemwides? Are your travel patterns such that that's a better choice than waitlisting, see if it clears three days before, then buying up?
May 1, 2019, 12:34 am
#43
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
Wait - you actually change dates and times of travel to use SWUs?
Maybe this is a common occurrence for some people, but I don’t personally know of anyone who does this. If I did that I’d be single, unemployed or both.
I’m not willing to give up personal time to use an upgrade. I can’t see how else you’d do this without paying to fly by sacrificing your personal life.
If if you’re willing to give up personal time to use an SWU, all I can say is that you’re paying way more than I’d be willing to pay. I’d rather spend money than time. And other than traveling on personal time, I have no real choice about where or when I go. I can’t swap days or destinations to use an upgrade. I can’t imagine being able to do that.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean about "using personal time." I don't travel internationally in coach for work, so I'm not using them on business trips.
It's becoming clear that part of your declaration of their universal uselessness is that you were only thinking of using them on work trips—did it really not occur to you that some people (the vast majority on flyertalk, I suspect) travel for fun?
May 1, 2019, 12:53 am
#44
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London and Madrid
Programs: BA Gold, UA 2MM, Hyatt Globalist, Columbia Record & Tape Club Triple Diamond VIP
Posts: 577
Wait, now you’re saying you use SWUs for domestic travel?
That strikes me me as further evidence that they are useless. I travel domestically 2 or 3 times per year for work, the rest is outside the US and in C or F. The last time I checked, JFK to SFO was less $ in F than C, giving SWUs a net negative value. That was the last time I bothered to look and it was two weeks ago.
Unless you consider PHX to GEG a good use of SWU, everything you post just underscores their complete worthlessness. If you want to use an SWU to upgrade on a shorthaul flight, go to town. But wow, that’s kinda lame.
AA knows this. They don’t need our loyalty when they have corporate contracts. And a near monopoly.
I travel for fun, too. But I do not negotiate my free time with some saver calendar. I do not decide when or where to go based on upgrade availability. My time off is way more valuable than that.
That strikes me me as further evidence that they are useless. I travel domestically 2 or 3 times per year for work, the rest is outside the US and in C or F. The last time I checked, JFK to SFO was less $ in F than C, giving SWUs a net negative value. That was the last time I bothered to look and it was two weeks ago.
Unless you consider PHX to GEG a good use of SWU, everything you post just underscores their complete worthlessness. If you want to use an SWU to upgrade on a shorthaul flight, go to town. But wow, that’s kinda lame.
AA knows this. They don’t need our loyalty when they have corporate contracts. And a near monopoly.
I travel for fun, too. But I do not negotiate my free time with some saver calendar. I do not decide when or where to go based on upgrade availability. My time off is way more valuable than that.
May 1, 2019, 8:50 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
What I think set several people off, and what I tried to illustrate in my whimsical analogy, were the claims of general uselessness based on individual requirements. Every poster in this thread taking issue with "SWUs are useless" has acknowledged that they may not be useful to certain individuals. But as many, many of us have gotten a lot of value from them, they are not useless in the absolute sense claimed repeatedly here.
Not sure why that point seems so hard for some folks to understand, or why there's such intricate argumentation around it. It's a factual matter: many people find SWUs useful, ergo they are not useless.
Last edited by HLCinCOU; May 1, 2019 at 9:20 am
