IADCAflyer

Lets also note that AA -does- hold back seats. How many threads do we have here on FT where posters refer to battlefield upgrades, clearing at T-30, feverishly scanning the upgrade list to see if the magical "checkmark" appears next to their name.....

Smiley90

It's amusing though that people think no elite status should matter - except their own, and especially on flights that they're on.

ijgordon

Well of course many solo travelers would prefer it (though I do think you're underestimating the "don't really care, it's FC" contingent). It's just disingenuous for OP to complain about not being able to get something that doesn't even exist on the vast majority of the fleet.

I don't really know, but (1) those are much longer flights than the Embraers, and (2) they also come with a lot more personal space.

In a theoretical vacuum perhaps, but we're trying to deal with reality, and I don't need to rehash all the arguments others have made as to why this is unworkable.

LovePrunes

I seriously thought when I read the original post on this thread that it was a joke...couldn't really be serious. But then it's a parade of grumpy posts from "don't you know how good a customer I am?" predictable folks here. There's no reasoning with folks who think they know everything and think they're are always right.
The entitled attitude...Yeesh.

carlosdca

I was curious where AXA is and went to google flights.
If you select "First" google flights shows nothing.
But if you select "Business" there will be one option via MIA.

On another topic, I agree with what has been said about making assertions having no data.

If a flight for tomorrow is sold out in F I can say
- These annoying mid tier elites took my seat away with their damn free upgrades.
or
- Freaking AA!!! They sold those seats at a discount!!
(nobody can tell here what really happened)
but most likely when AA sees a sold out flight they are like

cmtlatitudes

Shoot, I was hoping you were mocking me with Saturday availability opening up, oh well! 🙂

I don't apologize for only flying F. It's too hard on me physically anymore otherwise. I'd rather be comfy at home than playing Russian Roulette with upgrades at an airport -- a game that I'd likely lose more often than win -- being only a lowly Plat! So if I want to go enough I just pay for it. But expecting a last-minute seat to be available anytime, especially in F/J, is not realistic. Unless AA completely revamps their system, which I don't see happening.

I do think AA should prioritize fully paid F/J customers in IRROPS before upgrades. Always. Even if it means removing an upgrade already seated.

Other than maybe IRROPS, this thread is kind of way over the top. 😁 Even by sometimes popcorn worthy and always slightly humorous FlyerTalk entitlement standards.

How would AA even realistically manage something like the OP proposes? What seats would be held out on which flights? Everyone's idea of the 'best' seats are different, even among CKs. It almost sounds like the OP will only be happy if he can fly on the flights he wants, in the seat he wants, whenever he wants them. Displacing anyone else before him in the process. Just because he showed up. (Does AA actually do this for anyone, at any level? Not GA shenanigans, but as stated policy, or policy in practice?)

chris8796

I have no problem with the current policy and find it is a reasonable balance of interests. At the end of the day we are only talking FC on a regional Jet, these are small markets and should be grateful that they have an occasional FC product.

I am not convinced that 95% of elites are great customers, most are tied to AA by corporate contracts, hub or limited options. They have limited discretionary ability in their flight choice and are surely not buying the highest margin tickets. Their biggest value to the company is probably helping convince the public that flying is fun and aspirational. A customer that constantly tells you how great of a customer they are, are rarely great customers. A customer that buys the highest margin tickets just buys what is best for themselves, regardless of price and doesn't worry about company loyalty programs. A great customer would just buy fully flexible tickets and have their staff buy potential flights to reserve their preferred seats, if it is such an important criteria.

carlosdca

Exactly.
and depends on the circumstances.
"My husband booked separately and it turns out I can join him for the weekend. I checked today and the seat next to him is taken by a low level EXP!!!!! How dare AA allow this to happen!"

Herb687

Thank you for proving my point that clearing upgrades prior to day of departure should be severely curtailed.

Since there are some people with atypical definitions of the best seats within a cabin, holding back upgrades as long as practical gives each paid first class passenger a better chance of being able to snag the seat he or she defines as best.

VegasGambler

The problem with watering down elite benefits like this is that they lose their best customers (who are the elites, regardless of what a few people on this thread think). The people who take a vacation a year in paid F probably overpay for that round trip, but it's not enough volume to make them a valuable customer, and they probably don't engage with AA partners, which AA clearly values at least as much as flying (possibly more).

Antarius

This is like saying the solution to a paper cut is amputation.

Let's destroy the loyalty program, the only thing that makes money at AA to solve a minimal issue of sometimes not getting seats.

Herb687

I don't get why you perceive delaying more upgrade clearance until gate control as a watering down of elite benefits. Upgrades are a subject to availability benefit. There's never been any guarantee or promise that any specific number of comp upgrades will be doled out ahead of time.

No one here has proposed taking away your precious upgrades. Some of us are just suggesting that those upgrades not be cleared until AA can, with a higher level of confidence, know that the last passenger who might want to pay for a first class seat (and choose the best seat within the cabin) has already done so.

IADCAflyer

And as noted above, 1) neither Delta nor United do this, 2) gate agents are preoccupied enough with other tasks, and 3) the opportunity for games increases significantly. Or no upgrades get pushed through - at all.

Herb687

Says no one on this thread.

Manufactured spending whales make AA money now. Are any of these MS whales regularly competing for your precious upgrades?

Behind the scenes tweaks of upgrade inventory controls would have negligible impact on the loyalty program.

Herb687

Do WHAT exactly?
WHAT specific other tasks? Clearing UGs at the gate has been going on for most of my adult life. I don't know why you think gate agents are particularly task-saturated.