Declining an upgrade on the E-175 plane
Feb 23, 2023, 6:24 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,222
The software was already designed and built for this "edge case", which until recently was not a 1% use case at all. With 500 mile certs, lower level elites had to decide whether to request an upgrade, and so too did PP/EP traveling with a companion... and knowing that if a companion upgrade was not requested, the elite might not want one either. The already-built checkboxes, defaulted to a pre-selected state, are a perfectly viable solution and even to this day would continue to deflect calls.
Given the Frankenstein nature of AA's IT, simple is best.
Feb 23, 2023, 8:19 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,637
This is exactly the reason. On the 2 flights that I took in Jan, there were only 3 persons in MCE and the non-MCE seats were 90% occupied. I can also slide my roll abroad sideways under the seats in front of me. Since it is only a 50 minute flight, I just sleep. No need for refreshments.
Feb 23, 2023, 9:15 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,100
This is exactly the reason. On the 2 flights that I took in Jan, there were only 3 persons in MCE and the non-MCE seats were 90% occupied. I can also slide my roll abroad sideways under the seats in front of me. Since it is only a 50 minute flight, I just sleep. No need for refreshments.
The loads though can be unpredictable and Jan/Feb are often the slowest months. And it is a risky strategy to be stuck with the worst outcome (seat in Y next to someone when you turned down a J upgrade which may have even been an "A" seat).
I would personally leave the upgrade as is. If you see the flight very empty you can always ask the GA to move you or tell the FA on board you'd like to take an empty Y row instead.
The couple of times I flew during covid I did this (when flights had like every elite upgraded so a full F cabin with a very empty Y) and never had an issue.