LAX-JFK.

Number 3 on the priority list, with mid 400K LP. 0 seats available in BC last night. My upgrade cleared overnight. Numbers 1 and 2, who have the same first three letters of their last name, were still on the list when I got to the airport, but cleared at the gate.

Th 6/05 I flew on flight 2321 LAX-ORD (the new 789P). I was #3 out of 32 on the upgrade list for 1 seat. Boarded the plane and got settled in to seat 19L and just before boarding was completed, I got an AA chime. Upgraded to seat 11D.

JFK-LAX yesterday. Battlefield upgrade. I was #1 on the list. Mid 400K rolling Loyalty Points. "Your seat assignment changed" message popped up on my phone as they were about to close the aircraft door. According to the list in the app, mine was the only upgrade.

I've had some surprising success with international SWUs over the last few weeks. PHL-ZRH and the return ZRH-PHL cleared at time of purchase for October, was even able to snag the "preferred" business seats both ways. Also cleared LAX-SYD-LAX as well 30 days in advance of the flight; that route in particular has a TON of availability right now.

Upgrade offer $$ OR Miles?
 

MIA - CUN 24th June
Just received an offer to upgrade from Main to Business, either cash or using miles! No status any longer. When I booked a couple of months ago, offer started at $140, rose to $364!! and is now $120 or 13.5K miles (original round trip in BC was about $340 more than Main). I bought the return offer of $90 a couple weeks ago. First time I've seen an offer using miles - do you think the cash offer will go down? Six seats open in B.C. at the moment. Almost full flight otherwise.

06/13 - DFW - CDG - #2 on list with 0 seats available all week. Got a call from the gate around original boarding time asking if I wanted PE seat. #1 on the list cleared into J despite J0 from T-12-boarding.

11 CK on the flight today.

6/20 - LAX-ORD - cleared for self +1 companion at T-26. EXP +250 rolling LP. This is on the new 787P
At T-6 there are 13 on waitlist for 10 seats… By boarding 13 on waitlist for 0 seats

Last week MIA/SFO 2 seats open and no one on the upgrade list. 738Max. Eventually taken by 2 non revers including a pilot that sat next to me that was going to SFO to pick up his 99 year old grandmother and take her to Vegas. Apparently, she likes running the tables.

DEN-LAX-BOS on July 2. Y Award with 500K rolling LP. First segment already cleared. On Transcon EF shows F5 J4, but only one Biz seat shows open on the seat map? What are the chances of upgrade clearing to J? Or do I just have to wait for T-12 waitlist to appear?

If they are low, I think I'm going to cancel and fly DL DEN-MSP-BOS in recliner F, which I also have booked as a backup.

How is this possible? Why would you clear ahead of number 1 and 2? Is it because there was only one seat open and they don't split companions?

happens all the time. we've been 1-2 then 3 gets upgraded ahead of us early, then someone no shows and theres another seat open and 4 gets upgraded. Very hard to upgrade with 2 pax even if you are 1-2 on the list - unless they do it at 100 or 24 hours points.

Ord to PHX
 

Changed to a flight because yesterday it showed C 7 on EF. $390+ to upgrade This morning shows C5 no upgrade offer
other flights were mostly C0
two Hours before boarding I look while at the AC. It reads C0.
waitlist is 22 deep
I’m EP with 180 Lp and companion and I are #5 and 6
#1 clears T-1
was EF wrong? Or just an oddity?
thank you !

Is this only if P2 is on the same PNR? What if you're booked on different booking confirmations and then you manually call in to add?

I don’t believe C space is related to upgrade list priority… it is for potential availability for use of Systemwide Upgrades.
J space is what determines how many first class seats are still available for purchase. I usually select flights with the most J space with the thinking that my probability of complimentary upgrade will be higher.
And neither C or J can be used as a predictor of if cash upgrade offers will show up or not.

(if I am incorrect here, someone please correct me…)

That’s right. C space does not reflect the complementary upgrade inventory.

Assuming the OP was using EF award searching the right way, the move would have been to lock in 15k miles + $75 if it was C7 as that is better value than $390 out of pocket per passenger.