Very positive unexpected upgrade activities
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SLC
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Plat
Posts: 616
Very positive unexpected upgrade activities
I fly 8-12 flights per week, many on AA .
Over the past two weeks I have been getting very unexpected upgrades within 24 hours of departure. What is surprising is I am getting upgrades on flights at J2 or less, under 24 hours out.
Yesterday MIA DFW 772 flight J2, I was upgraded 18 hours out
This morning DFW HOU, flight has been at J1 for three days, just received upgrade notification e-mail. I checked 30 minutes ago, J1. I suspect flight went J2, but yet AA normally would not upgrade with just a few hours before departure (gate upgrade).
Vey unexpected, have no idea what is going on, but sure is nice......
Over the past two weeks I have been getting very unexpected upgrades within 24 hours of departure. What is surprising is I am getting upgrades on flights at J2 or less, under 24 hours out.
Yesterday MIA DFW 772 flight J2, I was upgraded 18 hours out
This morning DFW HOU, flight has been at J1 for three days, just received upgrade notification e-mail. I checked 30 minutes ago, J1. I suspect flight went J2, but yet AA normally would not upgrade with just a few hours before departure (gate upgrade).
Vey unexpected, have no idea what is going on, but sure is nice......
#2
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,988
I fly 8-12 flights per week, many on AA .
Over the past two weeks I have been getting very unexpected upgrades within 24 hours of departure. What is surprising is I am getting upgrades on flights at J2 or less, under 24 hours out.
Yesterday MIA DFW 772 flight J2, I was upgraded 18 hours out
This morning DFW HOU, flight has been at J1 for three days, just received upgrade notification e-mail. I checked 30 minutes ago, J1. I suspect flight went J2, but yet AA normally would not upgrade with just a few hours before departure (gate upgrade).
Vey unexpected, have no idea what is going on, but sure is nice......
Over the past two weeks I have been getting very unexpected upgrades within 24 hours of departure. What is surprising is I am getting upgrades on flights at J2 or less, under 24 hours out.
Yesterday MIA DFW 772 flight J2, I was upgraded 18 hours out
This morning DFW HOU, flight has been at J1 for three days, just received upgrade notification e-mail. I checked 30 minutes ago, J1. I suspect flight went J2, but yet AA normally would not upgrade with just a few hours before departure (gate upgrade).
Vey unexpected, have no idea what is going on, but sure is nice......
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Some of those under T-24 upgrades are usually the result of cancellation/flight changes and seats become open. What I really see is fewer no show upgrades at the gate or onboard. Guess paxs buying upfares are determine to get their F experience, such as it has become.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,005
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,482
AA should not be clearing many upgrades prior to D-30 minutes at the gate. AA needs to hold back as much inventory as possible for last minute paid F bookings and/or for IRROPS reaccommodation of paid F passengers.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
Could they change the thresholds? Sure. But that would just make upgrades more difficult across the board for the exceptional cases, like what you mention.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,482
Could they change the thresholds?
I am arguing that in many domestic markets AA has been too liberal for a couple of years now in its allocation of upgrade inventory prior to day of departure.
I've been locked out of buying last minute first class fares on several occasions. That's a problem and it's revenue sub-optimal for AA.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
I say this as an AA elite who occasionally buys an F fare on UA when AA’s schedule or fare does not meet my needs.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
This is not human intervention. This is a machine algorithm that uses past data and once certain thresholds are met - processes the upgrade.
Could they change the thresholds? Sure. But that would just make upgrades more difficult across the board for the exceptional cases, like what you mention.
Could they change the thresholds? Sure. But that would just make upgrades more difficult across the board for the exceptional cases, like what you mention.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,988
This is not human intervention. This is a machine algorithm that uses past data and once certain thresholds are met - processes the upgrade.
Could they change the thresholds? Sure. But that would just make upgrades more difficult across the board for the exceptional cases, like what you mention.
Could they change the thresholds? Sure. But that would just make upgrades more difficult across the board for the exceptional cases, like what you mention.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,482
In practice, yield management seeks to optimize the airline's revenue across the network one departure day at a time.
I understand your argument that the current balance is not optimal for *you* but how can you assert with such certainty that it’s not optimal for the airline?
There is a core tenet of airline yield management that a cabin should NEVER be closed for sale. If a cabin is closed for sale, then theoretically you turned away a passenger who would have paid at least $1 more than the last one who booked.
I say this as an AA elite who occasionally buys an F fare on UA when AA’s schedule or fare does not meet my needs.
I've posted elsewhere that one of the core issues in airline revenue management is that you have an incredibly sophisticated black box tasked with optimizing network revenue. Individual RM teams, however, are evaluated on their own markets.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 615
I think this is a major point...if you are flying this much then your EQDs (even with very low y fares) are probably higher than most EXPs, which means you are very high on the upgrade list.
I have traveled through the pandemic (healthcare related) but still my EQDs are relatively low since my corporate policy makes me buy the lowest y fare available. Even so, i have been fairly successful with upgrades, but it is far from guaranteed and actually LESS than when there were more flights from A to B. I understand the point of above posters who buy F fares last minute and find F full at T-48, but that has always been the case. It is just that now F is more full with other paid F fares along with (fewer) upgraded elites.
I have traveled through the pandemic (healthcare related) but still my EQDs are relatively low since my corporate policy makes me buy the lowest y fare available. Even so, i have been fairly successful with upgrades, but it is far from guaranteed and actually LESS than when there were more flights from A to B. I understand the point of above posters who buy F fares last minute and find F full at T-48, but that has always been the case. It is just that now F is more full with other paid F fares along with (fewer) upgraded elites.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
You know it decently based on the replies, but there’s no need to be rude.
To the topic at hand, it’s working as intended. You book away? Fine. They may prefer a full Y fare in the back.
Or maybe they actually sold all the F seats, so holding out for a once in awhile last minute purchase isn’t worth the bird in the hand.
And AA knows people will accept whatever on rebookings to get to their destination and could care less about holding back for SDCs or IRROPs.
RM is not there to hold out for the .1% chance of YOUR actions; it is to respond to major trends from 50+ years of data, and take to the bank guaranteed purchases in favor of holding out for last minute full F - something they learned about 20 years ago when F didn’t sell because it was too expensive.
To the topic at hand, it’s working as intended. You book away? Fine. They may prefer a full Y fare in the back.
Or maybe they actually sold all the F seats, so holding out for a once in awhile last minute purchase isn’t worth the bird in the hand.
And AA knows people will accept whatever on rebookings to get to their destination and could care less about holding back for SDCs or IRROPs.
RM is not there to hold out for the .1% chance of YOUR actions; it is to respond to major trends from 50+ years of data, and take to the bank guaranteed purchases in favor of holding out for last minute full F - something they learned about 20 years ago when F didn’t sell because it was too expensive.