SunkissedMommy

Last month I was checking in for my flight home from Rome. We were booked in Premium Econ from the start and had paid about $1,400 per person. While completing the check-in we had an option for $250 per person to upgrade to business for the flights home. I would have taken it in a heart beat by my husband said PE was good enough for us, lol. We have no status since we don't fly frequently enough but we tend to stick with AA just for miles purposes. We did not get the same offer when checking in to start our trip so I assume they are offering this when business isn't full.

donotblink

This is a Load Factor Based Upgrade or a Day of Departure Upgrade and has been around for a while.

SunkissedMommy

Thank you. Im still learning the ropes of how all this stuff works in hope that I may get some type of status one day!
Thats what I had assumed being that PE still had seats for sale a couple days before and it was full on our flight. Economy had a lot of open seats, so plenty of people moved up.

USFlyerUS

I just booked a short personal trip and, yes, the "upgrade" offer shows and is definitely less than the upfare. (And, I'm EP and got the offer.)

USFlyerUS

Corrrection, I think: The offer said "$85 per person". Clicking on the offer brings up a different page where the offer is "$197 per person" for the first leg and "$85 per person" for the second leg, which roughly combined was the upfare price. So, I'm not sure if this is an upgrade or an upfare. The page calls it an "Instant Upsell".

Here are the T&Cs, which mentions new fare rules implying it's an upfare, not an upgrade. Some communication from AA on exactly what this is would be helpful. ;-)

Offer Terms and Conditions

• You'll only receive this offer when your entire trip is operated and marketed by American Airlines or by one of our regional affiliates as American Eagle® and an upgraded seat is available for all passengers in the itinerary on at least one of your flights.
• This offer is per person, and based on your original trip and passenger eligibility, which may include ticket fare class, ticket status and purchase history.
• We make this offer at our sole discretion and may restrict, modify, or discontinue it at any time without notice.
• This offer cannot be put on hold and is not guaranteed until your credit or debit card payment has processed and you receive confirmation of your purchase.
• After your purchase, the new fare rules will apply (and could be more restrictive) along with the conditions of carriage and terms and conditions.
• AAdvantage® benefits and mileage accrual will be based on the new ticket.
• If you paid for Main Cabin Extra or a preferred seat, we'll automatically refund the original form of payment.
• If you paid for bags, please request a refund on aa.com. Request a refund

jnojr

Wouldn't this require them to actually, you know... have a "premium economy" product? Handing out free drinks in a couple of rows isn't that. Delta does a really good job with middle-of-the-plane experience, and I was happy to upgrade myself on nearly every flight. American is so far behind the other non-discount US carriers they can't even see the exhaust plume any more. If I didn't live in an AA hub, I would never use this crap airline in other then the most exigent of circumstances. Old planes, zero amenities, no wifi, no power, no seatback entertainment systems...

cova

i still find this interesting. A CK spending over $100K a year for personal, non-reimbursed travel, but choosing to save a few hundred $ more to only book coach domestic with thought that CK always get an upgrade. ( I could see if it was paid business which allows international J but requires coach domestically - but that doesn't appear to be the case here). You still get double EQM for J domestically, so maybe you would earn more SWU's and that may provide better savings.

I guess it depends on the route. On DCA-DFW or LAX flights - most times - nobody gets upgraded (full more than 5 days out) - and when they call CK preboard - you notice those CK sitting in coach.

I guess what AA cares is that you are spending $5K or more for international flights - and they can forgo that extra full hundred dollars you save buying coach tickets domestically.

Subject here is TOD's. You might want to prepare for paying for J domestically, as TODs will sell upgrades to non-elites over Elites.

Also - I can't image anyone spending more than 3% of their income on personal airfare. If you spend $15K per year for EXP - I think you need over $500K income - and likely more.

Let's say someone spending $100K on personal travel - even at 5% - would be an income of $2M a year.
I know people at that level - and they would not even think of buying a coach ticket for anything.

Only justification would be deductible from some kind of business or self employed business.

beachfan

It's not unusual. I'm often behind a few CKs on the upgrade list for domestic transcons.

cova

I was recently on a MIA-LHR flight with 8 CK's on the upgrade list and there were J seats for sell up to the last minute.

robertablake

A lot of assumptions here.

Everyone's situation is different. For me, my company pays for J for my international flights, but only will pay for economy on my domestic flights, which is a typical business policy. Being booked in coach on domestic hasn't bothered me to date as I have not missed an upgrade in quite sometime. The vast majority of my AA expenditures is paid for by the company. I don't even book or pay for those flights - the travel person in my company does with the corporate card - I wish I could flow that spend through my card :-)

LINDEGR

I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that all of that CK's travel was personal! I saw nothing to support that. At any rate, I spend more than 3% on airfare - it may not be common but not impossible either!

LINDEGR

Or maybe people actually bought those seats!!! It does happen! $250 for business is a steal and I would have jumped at it!

cova

I think the first CK that posted stated that they choose to pay for business and choose to pay for coach domestically. Corporate policies aren't a choice. You can be self-employed and choose, in which case you are the leader of the company and set policy.

Unless you are deducting airfare from some business you own or are a member of, it is hard to justify real expensive fares.

USFlyerUS

FWIW, the feature to buy up only seems to work on tickets purchased direct through AA, not tickets booked through a CTA. That's disappointing if they never change that.

USFlyerUS

I know several that easily re-qualify for EP each year solely or almost completely on personal travel. It's easy to spend $15K. Two advanced purchase business fares and a few domestic transcons and you're there. And, none make anywhere near that amount but choose to spend their discretionary income on travel.