Do EXP upgrades still start at 100 hours? Just got some that processed 12-24 hours before the 100 hour mark started. Nice little bonus.

This has happened on my last two flights - one a day before and the other several hours before the window. Pleasantly surprised as well and don’t recall it ever happening as a PPro.

For the most part you keep your original economy fare earnings for EQDs/EQMs etc.

However I recently had a flight that was cancelled and rebooked into R (preserving my upgrade) that posted a cabin bonus on the EQM. So some glitches can happen along the way for extra EQMs but as my cost basis wasn't lost I still got same award miles and LPs

Considering how many gold upgrades I have gotten lately you are probably in pretty good shape for upgrades, but I cannot speak to that route, I've been flying east coast. As always date/time can vary it a lot, weekend or mid-week upgrades are easier than monday morning and friday afternoon as that would avoid more business travel.

This has happened on my last two flights - one a day before and the other several hours before the window. Pleasantly surprised as well and don’t recall it ever happening as a PPro.

Been an EXP for a long time and this is the first time its happened to me that I can remember. I mean ok its dead of winter flying right into a storm but still nice little surprise.

I have the opposite problem for my first flight in 2022. Booked a flight in Oct PHX to SFO that has been affected by schedule changes. At t-100 EF showed C7 J7 and at least 11 open seats in J on the map. No automatic upgrade at any time. Since check in I have watched 8 seats book and now J3 so I think these are not just seat assignments. Now that the waitlist appears, I am the only person on the waitlist. Something does not seem right.

What I am worried about is I have multiple tickets that I booked in advance that all got rebooked for schedule changes and I am concerned something is wrong with the ticket that is not getting picked up in the sweeps.

Of course they could be just trying to sell those seats to day of travel upgraders but I have never seen such a delay in processing.

1/29 LAX - MIA - SJU EP two seats got it
 

Upgraded to C no problem:) 72 hours before

Solo ticket or multiple passengers? Always split reservations as AA sometimes like to open 1 upgrade at a time and it will skip if you multiple people on the reservation. At least it’s a short hop.

solo. I think the problem is with the ticket and not the process. No other explanation. Gate agent just upgraded me so I’ll ask the people around me in J who got upgraded via status.

Ever since they switch from 777/77W to 788/789 HNL-DFW-HNL, it seems all of the F seats fill up prior to T-100 hours, with no one getting upgrades after that point. Are people buying all of the F seats now?

I know it’s incredibly frustrating. For a popular leisure route like this, I assume it is indeed folks who buy (likely they burn up all their miles) to get into F because why not. Most people do Hawaii once in their lives and would justify the splurge.

In the 767 days (with similar amounts of available F seats) this could be a very difficult route for upgrades. And that was before the times of cheaper LFBUs. So, yes, DFW-HNL can be very competitive and they're plenty of people willing to outright purchase F using money or miles for that once-in-a-year/lifetime trip to Hawaii.

-FlyerBeek

PlatPro
PHX-DFW 1/18 Upgrade cleared at the gate
DFW-MCI 1/18 Upgrade cleared at the 72 hour window
MCI-PHX 1/24 I was the only one on the upgrade list - I didn't clear.

Newly-minted EXP

1/27 ABQ-DFW Cleared at 100hrs.
1/27 DFW-DEN 5th on the list and only #1 cleared.
1/28 DEN-DFW Cleared at 22hrs.
1/28 DFW-ABQ Cleared at 100hrs.
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