Upgrade Offer on App (and on website)
Dec 3, 2023, 8:54 am
#901
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
Agreed about complimentary upgrades, but I purchased a cash upgrade with no seats available in business. The flight leaves in 4 hours and it still won't let me select a seat (or really check-in) - it says to talk to someone at the airport. Is this normal? In this case they'll move someone from business (probably a paid business class ticket) to first to make room? Or do I have anything to worry about?
Dec 3, 2023, 9:32 am
#902
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,873
With AA, there is always the chance of a major employee screw-up resulting in pax sitting in the wrong cabin. But as already noted, the usual process is AA will upgrade pax to F to clear seats in J. They do this on the premium t-cons all the time so the GAs should be well aware of the process.
Dec 4, 2023, 1:04 am
#904
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
Dec 4, 2023, 7:11 am
#906
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP/2MM, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,188
BOS-CLT-LAX later in December, I'm getting $140 BOS-CLT and $242 CLT-LAX. The CLT-LAX is operated with a 772 so I'm tempted on that one but I also have a eVIP expiring soon and this is likely one of my last chances to use it. (though no C availability yet)
Dec 4, 2023, 7:55 am
#907
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
LAX-JFK next Saturday, has been $700-900 offer since booking. Dropped to $242 this morning for upgrade to J. Heck yeah I grabbed that. F upgrade was $454 BTW
Dec 4, 2023, 10:16 am
#908
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 127
The specific dollar amount $242 seems to be a VERY common amount for in-app upgrades on this route. Dont know what that means but its (mildly) interesting.
Dec 4, 2023, 10:47 am
#909
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Choice Hotels
Posts: 762
I found a couple of excellent upgrade opportunities on midcon routes yesterday. SAN-DFW on December 20th for $146 and DFW-SFO for $150 on January 3rd. I purchased both of those upgrades at those amounts. On both of those flights, the upgrade offers started around $800 when I booked them a few months ago. They went down to around $500, and then they went down to $272. I wasn't going to bote at any of those. However, once they got down around $150, I feel like that's a great deal. As a platinum pro, I have very little chance of getting upgraded on DFW flights to any destination of consequence.
Dec 4, 2023, 11:02 am
#910
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,052
From people's experience, if I purchase a standard Economy ticket and put in for a mileage upgrade, will upgrade offers for cash still appear in the app? Or by being on the mileage upgrade waitlist, do cash upgrades not appear as an option?
Thanks!
-Matt
Thanks!
-Matt
Dec 4, 2023, 11:26 am
#911
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT PRO, DL FO
Posts: 37
Dec 4, 2023, 11:39 am
#912
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 784
Outbound to Asia with longhaul segment being DFW-NRT. Four of us on one PNR. About six weeks out, I saw an offer for Y to J for $350 per person. It was J6 on ExpertFlyer at that point. Gladly took the offer to upgrade all four of us.
Inbound from Asia with longhaul segment being ICN-DFW. Tons of space with EF showing J7 and the seat map with 20 empty seat. I was going to try SWUs for all four of us but didn't add us to the upgrade waitlist yet. I haven't seen any upgrade space (C0) on this route despite monitoring over the last two weeks. However, several flights have gone to J0 a few days before departure. Unclear whether that is due to upgrade waitlists clearing or whether it is because people are checking their flights and noticing cheap upgrade offers. Anyway, I am about 6 weeks out from this flight and was offered Y to J for $350 again. While I could have tried to use my SWUs, I wasn't sure about the chances of having all four of us clear with SWUs given the cheap upgrade offers. If it were just me traveling alone, I would have waitlisted with a SWU. However, as there are four of us, I took the paid upgrade.
So eight flights to/from DFW & Asia, upgraded at $350 each!
Also, just one datapoint that despite taking an offer on one of the outbound segments, I continued to get offers on the other segments (including an offer for about the same amount of $323 for a 3 hour domestic flight - ha ha!). I agree with the others that it sucks not to get loyalty points, but I paid with my AmEx Plat and so at least I got 5x points. I also agree that this is AA monetizing upgrades that I probably could have gotten with my ExPlat status, but $350 for J to Asia is pretty darn good, particularly for a group of four which is very difficult to upgrade otherwise.
Inbound from Asia with longhaul segment being ICN-DFW. Tons of space with EF showing J7 and the seat map with 20 empty seat. I was going to try SWUs for all four of us but didn't add us to the upgrade waitlist yet. I haven't seen any upgrade space (C0) on this route despite monitoring over the last two weeks. However, several flights have gone to J0 a few days before departure. Unclear whether that is due to upgrade waitlists clearing or whether it is because people are checking their flights and noticing cheap upgrade offers. Anyway, I am about 6 weeks out from this flight and was offered Y to J for $350 again. While I could have tried to use my SWUs, I wasn't sure about the chances of having all four of us clear with SWUs given the cheap upgrade offers. If it were just me traveling alone, I would have waitlisted with a SWU. However, as there are four of us, I took the paid upgrade.
So eight flights to/from DFW & Asia, upgraded at $350 each!
Also, just one datapoint that despite taking an offer on one of the outbound segments, I continued to get offers on the other segments (including an offer for about the same amount of $323 for a 3 hour domestic flight - ha ha!). I agree with the others that it sucks not to get loyalty points, but I paid with my AmEx Plat and so at least I got 5x points. I also agree that this is AA monetizing upgrades that I probably could have gotten with my ExPlat status, but $350 for J to Asia is pretty darn good, particularly for a group of four which is very difficult to upgrade otherwise.
Dec 4, 2023, 12:43 pm
#913
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Anyone with experience of how AA economy fares upgraded via app offer to business or first wind up crediting with partners, Alaska specfically? Is it as the original eco fare? I have had some BA paid upgrades credit as if reticketed into the higher cabin which is why I ask.
Dec 4, 2023, 12:44 pm
#914
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
This has been my experience too, so the moment I see this, I tend to jump. Not sure it would go any lower or remain an option for all that long if others jump at it.
Dec 4, 2023, 4:44 pm
#915
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LA
Programs: AA, DL, UA
Posts: 545
I emailed AAdvantage and their response was :
I contacted a member of our reservation team regarding your question.
They advised the different types of upgrade products are not related,
however, if you are waitlisted using a systemwide upgrade or an upgrade
award the system concludes you are not interested in purchasing an
upgrade if available.
They advised the different types of upgrade products are not related,
however, if you are waitlisted using a systemwide upgrade or an upgrade
award the system concludes you are not interested in purchasing an
upgrade if available.
I personally feel that AA is not valuing EXP anymore and I will no longer have incentive in the future to try to spend CC or fly towards EXP status. My travel companion got the same in app offer for upgrade ($242) for LAX-JFK and she has no status.