Why doesn’t AA allow upgrades on award flights?
Feb 4, 2023, 8:58 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Flying Blue, Hilton Honors, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 2,402
Compare to Delta, where award tickets are just as upgradable as cash tickets (with top-tier credit card without status being upgradable after all elites have been upgraded) and the award tickets themselves earn elite credit (though it should be noted that, as DL's primary tiebreaker for upgrade priority is fare class, awards are last in each tier absent applying a SWU-like instrument). It is another example where the value, such as there is, in SkyPesos is in short haul.
Feb 4, 2023, 10:54 am
#18
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,701
WN has a new system — Amadeus. Deployed in the last few years. And they either already have bought or have the opportunity to buy various bolt-on features and services. I am guessing that since their melt down, they will looking at or moving up the implementation of the crew scheduling and tracking!
Feb 4, 2023, 10:55 am
#19
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Feb 4, 2023, 10:55 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Feb 4, 2023, 1:08 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 139
Its possible this is one reason, but having worked at a large corporation setting corporate policy, it rarely boils down to just one thing. I suspect that the other main reason is that AA would also rather you buy the seat outright than use miles. While using miles reduces their future liabilities, that reduction is still less than the revenue generated by a purchased ticket. So if you hold back the upgrade benefit, it incentives the purchase of a ticket rather than using miles from the people who generally have the most miles to use (elites).
Feb 4, 2023, 2:18 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: GSP
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Feb 4, 2023, 2:55 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,313
if only 1 upgrade becomes available, the EXP would have to let AA know the EXP is willing to upgrade solo, otherwise would get skipped and a solo traveler with fewer LPs would get that upgrade.
Upgrades on award tix are the lowest priority, processed after all other upgrades like SWUs and comp upgrades to EXP on paid tix.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:01 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: GSP
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 221
the EXP would have ask AA to split the PNR so that EXP + 1 companion would be eligible.
if only 1 upgrade becomes available, the EXP would have to let AA know the EXP is willing to upgrade solo, otherwise would get skipped and a solo traveler with fewer LPs would get that upgrade.
Upgrades on award tix are the lowest priority, processed after all other upgrades like SWUs and comp upgrades to EXP on paid tix.
if only 1 upgrade becomes available, the EXP would have to let AA know the EXP is willing to upgrade solo, otherwise would get skipped and a solo traveler with fewer LPs would get that upgrade.
Upgrades on award tix are the lowest priority, processed after all other upgrades like SWUs and comp upgrades to EXP on paid tix.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:19 pm
#26
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Same window applies.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:32 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
I’ve wondered the same thing. I would assume that AA likes getting cash revenues, but perhaps that would discourage people from booking first class award tickets and maybe AA wants to take those miles off its balance sheet asap. I would think that miles that haven’t been used are a liability.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:43 pm
#28
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Join Date: May 1998
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You could do it in the "old days." This is something they specifically removed and changed, along with about 100 features they have added and deleted (see the separate thread I started on approximately this subject.)
In the early days of the program (1980's and 1990's), you got a paper certificate for your flight (20,000 miles I think). That was good for "last seat availability" on any flight (i.e. - you could go to the airport and say "I want to go from LAX to JFK in 2 hours, here is my payment" and you got on. Also, the award counted as "full fare Y." You could pay the difference to upgrade to First (if any seat was available). I don't remember the cost for a day flight, but I do remember that the upgrade to First (not business), on a 747, was $25 to take the red-eye.
In the early days of the program (1980's and 1990's), you got a paper certificate for your flight (20,000 miles I think). That was good for "last seat availability" on any flight (i.e. - you could go to the airport and say "I want to go from LAX to JFK in 2 hours, here is my payment" and you got on. Also, the award counted as "full fare Y." You could pay the difference to upgrade to First (if any seat was available). I don't remember the cost for a day flight, but I do remember that the upgrade to First (not business), on a 747, was $25 to take the red-eye.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:58 pm
#29
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Yes, T-100 upgrades apply to awards tickets as well.
Feb 4, 2023, 3:59 pm
#30
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,701
What specifically is the IT issue? That would be news to AA