Upgrade Offer on App (and on website)
Nov 30, 2022, 12:31 pm
#331
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,487
One of the cheapest I’ve seen, 3 days out (was previously offered something in the $800 range and then the $600 range):
12/3 LAX-JFK, Y to Business, $242
12/3 LAX-JFK, Y to Business, $242
Nov 30, 2022, 3:18 pm
#332
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,203
$97 PHL-MCO-PHL 12/1 and 12/4
Hilarious considering the prices they tried to sell the F cabin were completely insane ($1300-$1,900). Most of the F cabin empty prior to TOD but was gone with TOD before the EXP window even opened. I'd imagine a few elites got upgraded but certainly no platinum or below. I used to be able to get these as a gold with stickers, or we buy F when the price isn't completely nuts. The flight times are not even ideal, very early. Very strange AA only has 4-5 flights a day right now too.
Hilarious considering the prices they tried to sell the F cabin were completely insane ($1300-$1,900). Most of the F cabin empty prior to TOD but was gone with TOD before the EXP window even opened. I'd imagine a few elites got upgraded but certainly no platinum or below. I used to be able to get these as a gold with stickers, or we buy F when the price isn't completely nuts. The flight times are not even ideal, very early. Very strange AA only has 4-5 flights a day right now too.
Dec 1, 2022, 3:36 pm
#333
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: $9 Fare Club
Posts: 1,479
$97 PHL-MCO-PHL 12/1 and 12/4
Hilarious considering the prices they tried to sell the F cabin were completely insane ($1300-$1,900). Most of the F cabin empty prior to TOD but was gone with TOD before the EXP window even opened. I'd imagine a few elites got upgraded but certainly no platinum or below. I used to be able to get these as a gold with stickers, or we buy F when the price isn't completely nuts. The flight times are not even ideal, very early. Very strange AA only has 4-5 flights a day right now too.
Hilarious considering the prices they tried to sell the F cabin were completely insane ($1300-$1,900). Most of the F cabin empty prior to TOD but was gone with TOD before the EXP window even opened. I'd imagine a few elites got upgraded but certainly no platinum or below. I used to be able to get these as a gold with stickers, or we buy F when the price isn't completely nuts. The flight times are not even ideal, very early. Very strange AA only has 4-5 flights a day right now too.
Pivoting to a volume approach rather than individual unit economics - you'll have a few price agnostic people who'll pay the $500-1k+ for F and then rather than having a 25% paid/75% upgraded cabin its reversed to a 75% paid/25% upgraded cabin.
Dec 1, 2022, 6:12 pm
#334
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 15
I have started buying the upgrade offers anytime they are reasonable (and I assess reasonableness based on flight time, aircraft, and cost). I am EXP primarily out of LAX and have been on way too many waiting lists where I am in the top 1-3 and no one clears. Not the end of the world to be in MCE for a short duration flight (2-3 hours), but definitely frustrating to see the cabin fill up with people purchasing upgrades for tens of dollars. I will always fly AA all else being equal, but with the change to LPs I can maintain at least PP-level status even if I split my flights between other airlines and the lack of upgrades (at least out of LAX on the routes I fly) removes the primary reason I want status.
Dec 10, 2022, 8:22 am
#337
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 515
Took an upgrade offer for a flight six weeks out from SNA-JFK for $432 to move from Y to J. Haven't seen many offers that good in awhile on the route. Although I used to be able to get transcon upgrade offers from Y to J in the high $400 range months in advance, AA now has most of my app upgrade offers priced higher than if I were to cancel my Y ticket and rebuy J on the website.
Dec 10, 2022, 9:03 am
#338
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Independent
Posts: 470
Is there a way to "encourage" an offer? My wife and I are on separate reservations on a flight on 12/23, and I have an offer and she does not. I suspect it's because her ticket had some special circumstances (extended past expiry) and "can't be changed online", but I would like to upgrade us both because our flight is packed in economy.
I called phone support and they said they can't upgrade us both based solely on my online offer
.
I called phone support and they said they can't upgrade us both based solely on my online offer
.
Dec 10, 2022, 3:04 pm
#339
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Choice Hotels
Posts: 762
On friday, December 23rd, I have a lunch time flight SAN-DFW on an A321. As a platinum pro, I can't imagine that I would have any kind of shot of getting an upgrade on that flight. The offer on the app was only $146. I took it.
Dec 10, 2022, 3:37 pm
#340
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SFO
Programs: AY Plat, LH FTL
Posts: 7,374
I'm shocked at how low these upgrades are on such elite heavy routes.
Dec 10, 2022, 5:26 pm
#342
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
The offer on PHX-SFO (and v.v.) has been $97 all year. Right now I'm being offered $205 for a late December flight with a wide open F cabin. Change in practice? I hope not. These discounted upgrades have been one of the few things keeping AA in the game on this route for me (as their F fares are considerably higher than either UA or AS).
Immediately after it's ticketed.
Immediately after it's ticketed.
Dec 10, 2022, 7:34 pm
#344
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
Dec 11, 2022, 9:12 am
#345
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: AA 1MM/Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,215
We have a few flights coming up out of CLT. Offers were initially $97 and went to $200 recently, even with cabins that look to be about half full. 3 of us traveling, split the PNRs for upgrade purposes. Bought one upgrade, and hoping to clear EXP upgrades for the other two. But did think the jump in price was interesting, and not something that I’ve seen before on short/med haul routes.