tylerc

Hey all,

I've been searching for info on the policy for gate upgrades on a mixed cabin award. Currently I have YYZ - LAX in economy with the rest of my itinerary to Tahiti in business. I'm hopeful that business space will open prior to (November departure), but if it doesn't, is there any policy re: upgrading at the gate for mixed cabin itineraries similar to how AC allows it with AP awards?

Thanks in advance!
Tyler

3Cforme

As far as I have experienced, AA's policy is that one sits in his ticketed cabin. If you want a higher cabin of service, watch obsessively for the award inventory to become available.

mikew99

It used to be that pmUA would (officially or unofficially) treat passengers who are in the OP's situation (e.g., flying on a F ticket but booked in Y due to lack of seats in F) as displaced F passengers with priority for any available F seats at boarding time. This was never considered an "upgrade," rather just giving the passengers the first crack at the seats that they paid for.

Do you know whether AA has a similar (official or unofficial) policy?

tylerc

I figured that was the case, but hoping they treat me like a displaced F passenger if no space opens like the other poster mentioned.

Does anyone have experience with that segment? Looks like the YYZ-LAX is wide open business availability for revenue...is there a point at which they tend to start releasing as award space?

3Cforme

One might get an ExpertFlyer subscription and set an alert.

bdemaria

It sounds like when booking, you took a voluntary downgrade for YYZ-LAX? If so, then make sure you are designated as such on the PALL List specifically, you want to be noted as "voluntary downgrade desires to travel in ticketed cabin"

tylerc

Of course I have done that...newbie, but not that newbie!

My question is regarding if they DON'T release as award, but there is space in the cabin at the gate.

Sparth3103

Hi,

I wanted to book a mixed cabin flight with the first leg on Business and the second leg in First class on Etihad. Is this possible to do if I called AAdvantage to book the award? And would it cost me the first class saver price despite one leg being on business?

Thanks

3Cforme

If the routing qualigfies as a single award redemption you can a voluntary downgrade into available business award inventory on one leg and enjoy F on the other for a single F redemption. Forget about an award discount because F isn't available. If the routing would be two awards, awards, anyway, do one J and one F.

Sparth3103

Ah ok - do I ask for the voluntary downgrade despite there not being First availability for the first segment?

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

You ask for the voluntary downgrade because of -- not despite -- the lack of F availability on one segment. (If there were F availability on that segment, why on earth would you choose to sit in J?)

If, on the other hand, the flight in question simply does not have an F cabin, then it's not really a voluntary downgrade; it's simply an F award where one of the segments only has J and Y cabins.

In any event, if you fly even one segment in a three-class F cabin, the entire award should price as F, regardless of where you sit on the remaining flight(s).

Sparth3103

Thanks for the help

AspiringWorldTraveler

Thanks for this explanation, was looking JFK-HKG with stop in NRT. There is F space on JAL and (for now) only bus. space on CX (NRT-HKG). Just wanted to get all the facts straight before I call AAdvantage

matrixwalker2012

When you book a three class F saver award, you are entitled to sit in any class of service with saver space on any segment. However, some agents aren't as up to speed with the process of downgrading individual segments. I can't even count how many times I want to do something like say BOS-JFK-LAX saver with JFK-LAX in F and BOS-JFK in Y and the agents keep trying to tell me it is impossible or try to price it as two separate awards. They always act like BOS-JFK in Y is the end of the world when in reality, it's a 40 minute up and down flight that I really don't give a rip where I sit.

jrseattle

I'm trying to book a saver award in F AUH-JFK-YVR. First leg is on Etihad, Second on Cathay Pacific. The current cost for this award is 90K miles.
However, there is no availability on the AUH-JFK segment in F so I said I want to voluntarily downgrade to Business Class on the segment. There is availability on the JFK-YVR segment in F.
I tried 2 AA agents (in Australia) and they say both that this itinerary requires 2 separate awards, for a total of 100K miles, because of the mixed classes.
If F space becomes available on first leg, I could change and the award would be recomputed. Of course, my hope is that space will become available but I don't want the award to be recalculated after March 22 (or whatever the exact date is) because of the much higher cost.
What do I do to convince AA to book this as ONE F award for 90K???

jrseattle