Question on recent domestic F/B purchases close in
 

I recall a thread back a bit about buy-up offers to First (domestic) for additional $$, (minimal $$), but couldn't find it. Basically, I was wondering if this is now "standard practice" being offered by AA on coach purchases, and if it's effecting availability of last minute (reasonably priced) First/Business tickets? And if yes, what the time frame is in relation to time remaining before flight? (i.e. - offers only appear for reservations made within a couple weeks of departure, with reminder to check in, etc.)

The reason I'm asking is I usually book fairly last minute tickets in domestic First/Business. Within a week or two of the flight, or even a day or two, although I start monitoring them well before that as I usually have a general idea I'm thinking of flying. Rarely has this ever been a problem for me obtaining a seat when I wanted to fly in the past five years. Occasionally a flight might be sold out a specific day or flight in the F/B cabin, but options were still plentiful in a general time frame.

The last three weeks however this hasn't been the case. I delayed coming back from a recent trip by three days, because each day the F/B cabin was selling out 1-2 days before, before I could make my reservation. I thought this was a fluke of timing with the approach of hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, but still found it strange. That had literally never happened to me before in years of booking flights flying back from the Caribbean -- trying to book days in a row, and seeing First fill every day while coach seats went unsold. Now, I'm trying to make arrangements for another trip next week, and F/B is mostly sold out for flights 4-10 days in advance, with reasonable connections/arrival times. Except for a smattering of very pricey full fare flexible tickets.

Guess what I am asking in general is: is anyone finding there is a 'new normal' recently on time frames for buying last minute AA domestic/business seats?

I find on the 8 seat A319, F is routinely sold out days in advance on my routes. Not so much with planes where the cabin has 12+. But it does seem that AA has been experimenting with offering buy-ups that are appealing to enough people.

I'm pretty sure the lack of F seats 2-4 days in advance isn't due to elite upgrades. As a Plat, even when a cabin has 25% unsold F seats 2 days out, I still am hit or miss for the battlefield upgrade.