Upgrades on hold?
 

Has anyone heard if AA is going to be giving out upgrades? Rumor has it that certain airlines are forgoing upgrades at this time?

Thanks

M

my gf got her upgrades(500 mile) last weekend out of ORD and SNA . unless this is something that just started this week? or are you takling about SWUs?

DL is holding UPGs to FC at the gate (and also not offering anything other than water to premium passengers).....AA is upgrading at the normal windows and still offering meals on flights over 2,200 (NYC-LA) along with full bar service in FC in general.

IIRC UA is doing the same.

Why did you put "(NYC-LA)"? Aren't other flights over 2,200 miles getting meals? My CLT-SFO flight of 2,296 miles lists "Dinner" in two weeks.

I've also read where airlines are purposefully blocking seats in F. On small frames like 319's that effectively reduces F to 4 seats. If so, are they blocking an entire row (stupid, as that would put four people in row 2 or are they blocking row 1-A and 1-C, 2-B and 2D? That could make sense??
As an exec plat on the routes I normally fly, I have been lucky to be mostly to be upgraded and having those complimentary upgrades go away would be bothersome.

AA is blocking some seats and there appears to be no pattern on whether those F seats get assigned. Some flights the first row is blocked, others they are given to those on the upgrade list. As a PP every single one of my upgrades has cleared, almost all at T-72. Given the number of business travelers not flying and that probably won't fly until the entire social distancing/mask wearing thing is over as an EXP you should be clearing just about every flight and at the T-100 window.

It was just an example routing....surely most people can figure out if their flight is 2,200 miles or more.

Depends on route, for sure. My CLT-SFO is J0 two weeks out. JFK-LAX same day is F0 J0 same day.

Of course, just didn't know if you knew anything about it being limited to premium TCONS.

Given the pick up in flying my upgrade streak will be coming to an end soon. ORD is packed today. Now what really pisses me off is that AA won't open the ACs. I pay the damn membership out of pocket every year for a quite and easy place to work, clean bathrooms, showers at hubs and whatever food offering they want to throw my way. I wanted to sit in a crowded, loud terminal with outrageous food prices for garbage junk food I'd wouldn't be paying for the membership.

Same here....the lack of an AC in hubs is getting ridiculous

Can confirm as of yesterday and today that AA is processing EXP upgrades at the window. Coworker had PLT upgrade processed today, as well.

I've been consistently upgraded at the window on AA. I voluntarily DG'ed out of a full F cabin my last flight SFO-PHX.
Not in my experience.

I'm sure AA wants business as usual more than you do. So yeah, circumstances are what they are.
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That doesn't jive with not opening AC.

Who would have thought we would see the day where AA's service standards in domestic F were better than DL's.

Also transcons from New York to LAX are treated differently for other benefits

Sure it does. Circumstances dictate things that aren't always what we want.

American is hurting financially far worse than any of us. I doubt they're keeping the clubs closed for fun.

I just completed an upgrade on Delta and pissed off the #1 person on the list. I asked at the counter about upgrading and she told me it was $45 dollars (SLC-SFO). I took it. Shortly afterward she came on the PA and announced that F was sold out as Delta is capping it at 50% of capacity. And sure enough, there were only six of us upfront. I check the app and noticed that only one person was upgraded also when boarding started.

This is all much ado at the moment.

Want the seat and worry endlessly about not getting the UG? Simple fix... Buy the seat.

AA has bigger fish to fry at the moment than opening up ACs to crowds. You likely got a credit for the pause in membership, so quit moaning about having to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.

Think bigger picture, because honestly, the folks complaining the loudest are usually those AA could very quickly live without.

:rolleyes:

In all seriousness, the AC is easily the most skippable part. Airports aren't jam packed right now, so seating isn't scarce. Sure, you miss out on the pita chips, cheese cubes and bud light; is that really worth the angst shown here?

Yes. It's preposterous that they're all closed.

Exactly. The competition is open. The airport authorities aren't keeping them closed. Some of us actually shell cash out of our own pocket every year to have access to a lounge.

And some people flew extra to have status for this year. And some people paid for vacations that are canceled. Some people are in hotels with closed restaurants and lounges. Due to extenuating global circumstances, things aren't running like normal.

No offense, but this outrage comes off as "let them eat cake".

Considering there's no food/snacks served onboard (save extremely limited situations) and the drink service is non-existent in Y and unreliable in F...

tHEre'S a pANdEmiC!:rolleyes:

Some people haven't been in an airport. They are crowded at bank times. Since restaurants and bars are closed the seating areas, particularly in airports like CLT and ORD become packed.

I just got an upgrade on a 319 into a J cabin that was showing J0, and there's no seats for me to assign myself. Opposite of holding back upgrades if you ask me, lol.

Well, are things running like normal? You can believe whatever you want to believe. But airlines are acting a certain way due to this aforementioned pandemic. So until that stops, things won't go back to normal.

Again, no offense, but this is a tantrum about a really really small thing. American has much bigger fish to fry to avoid bankruptcy than prioritizing the AC for 20% of their usually scheduled flights.

Maybe cancel your AC membership if you dislike it so much?

Well I'm sure UA, DL and AS aren't exactly popping champagne corks because business is so good yet they have clubs opened. Maybe more than ever AA needs to preserve it's best customers.

UA and DL are doing at gate upgrades and serving only water. So, win some, lose some.

If this is a deal-breaker, just fly someone else. Be done with it.

Or, do you secretly enjoy the subpar experience just so you can come here to 'anonymously' complain? :)

Let's be frank, you're a Plat Pro... Not exactly one of AA's bread & butter.

If CKs can handle the clubs being closed, you can too. They're doing it for good reason.

For once, don't be the frequent flier who thinks only of himself. It's a worn cliche.

Excuse me I'm sure there's far more PP than CKs so yes PPs are AA's bread and butter. And I certainly do not need lectures from you on a virus I'm not afraid of. What I'm afraid of is unemployment but let's not real facts get in the way.

Well, I'm a CK, and I want the clubs open. What on earth is your point?

The only fact is that AA is a business that has made a decision to close the clubs due to reduced demand and COVID. You may disagree, you may think AA is run by fools or goblins or Chairman Mao. None of that changes the only fact here.

You can move to UA or DL if their behavior lines up with your beliefs more.

This whole shutdown has brought out what people mean by "freedom". It means I should be free to do whatever I want and the world should comply with my definition.

You just proved my point :)

'Me, me, me, me' You're the typical self-absorbed, clueless about the airline business, frequent flier.

LIke we've all said already: Don't like how AA is doing things, you're free to leave.

I’m also free to complain when I think things could be improved. Add me to the list of people who thinks it’s time for some of the clubs to open. I reject any premise that complaining means it’s about “me me me” as you are suggesting to others, and calling us names isn’t a particularly effective way to change our minds.