Shawn02139

i've been in the 'sky is falling' camp lately (particularly given paucity of award travel) but was delighted to find yesterday. I needed to go to europe for two days and C avialability was there for o/b and return (bos-lhr).
I also wanted to confirm upgrade in advance bos-lax for a Thursday afternoon, but no A availability, EXP agent didn't blink and said "i can confirm the upgrade now"

noodlebar

I have a question whether I-fares are or alternatively have recently become inelgible for upgrade from Business to First using an SWU. Apologies if this has been discussed before - I could not find a post on the subject.

I recently purchased a ticket through my Corporate Travel department and was booked in an I fare bucket for both. When I tried to call and use an SWU to upgrade on both legs I was told that it was not possible to upgarde because of the type of ticket which had been booked. I have never had this problem before - but I do not know which fare codes my previous tickets have been purchased under.

I ended up having to cancel my ticket because my plans changed before I could call the EXP desk again and try my luck with another agent.

My questions are was the agent correct that I fares are not upgradeable? If so, has this always been the case? Are there any other fares which cannot be upgraded using SWU - the EXP guide is unclear on the subject of which fare codes are actually ineligible?

WrLdTrvLnIndian

sounds strange to me. AFAIK there are no restrictions in using SWU. You should have been able to apply them.

anabolism

I don't think J has been zeroed-out due to impending cancelation or anything, since Y is still open. If it was me, I'd think my chances were poor, unless J opens up again, and be hunting for alternatives.

In the past, I fares were excluded (as were Q and some others). However, that changed a few years ago, and now any published fare should be eligible. Did the EXP agent specifically say that I fares were ineligible, or maybe say something general (as you wrote, "the type of ticket") and you assumed it was because of the booking code? Further, was this an AA operated flight booked as an AA code?

WrLdTrvLnIndian

Thanks. Funny thing though my buddy on the same flight got confirmed at around 2pm this afternoon (no notification from an EF Alert set up for C). As of now EF shows 5 unassigned seats in J and J2 R2 D1 in availibility. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to get EF alert notification so i can secure mine as well.

anabolism

Glad to hear your buddy got confirmed (AA must have opened up a C and your buddy was top of the wait list so got it, before the next EF alert check). Good luck with yours -- hopefully you are now top of the list.

WrLdTrvLnIndian

btw, is it a good idea to OLCI or should i not? I can't remember where i read it, but if i am not mistaken, if one OLCI's and a C opens up the EXP desk can't do process the upgrade since i already checked in, correct?

anabolism

I haven't heard that, but I also haven't been in such a situation so I can't say (I'm in the camp of, if I can't confirm the SWU before booking, I won't book). However, I have had situations (back when you could see X inventory on EF) where I'd done an OLCI, and the next morning saw X inventory, called the EXP desk, and had it applied and my ticket re-issued. Of course, doing so meant I was no longer checked in (one time I forgot about that, so went to the airport with my old Y BP, went through security with it, and while waiting in line for the gate agent, heard him telling the person in front of me, "Everyone in F has checked in except for one person." When I handed him my Y BP, he told spoke over my shoulder to the previous person, saying "and here he is now.")

So, I'd be surprised if being checked-in meant the EXP desk couldn't apply the SWU and re-issue your ticket.

I have heard that if the SWU hasn't cleared by the time you do get to the airport, be sure to ask to me put on the airport waitlist, because that is not ordered by original request time as it is for segment upgrades.

WrLdTrvLnIndian

thanks again, my SWU cleared T-23. But for future info since i went back and read through a few threads some more, SWU can be applied by the desk even if you have OLCI upto the point where the control of the flight goes over to the airport which is around T-6 hours, but i have also read people being able to confirm EVIP through the desk and have them reissue it well after the T-6 hours even if you have OLCI, so i guess YMMV. But thanks again, and surprisingly enough (good thing of course) my SWU went through way before that, that too automatically and no alert from EF of C open.

anabolism

Glad to hear it cleared!

Presumably, AA RM opened up a C seat and automatically cleared you, all in the time between EF alert checks.

sdsearch

But what you certainly can't do, I'm pretty sure, is pick your seat online after you've OLCId if you're upgraded after that.

The last two times I've been upgraded with an SWU it was within T-24*, and thus OLCI'able time, and yet they didn't assign me a seat automatically, and I was able to pick from several available seat numbers online. Had I already done OLCI, I don't think I could have done that.

So for those for whom (say, because of FEBO or aisle access or window view or whatever) seat selection after upgrading is important, that would seem reason enough to hold off on OLCI'ing if there's a chance that you'll get upgraded in time to choose your seat online.

*Well, to be honest, the last two times I've been upgraded with an SWU with the reticketing happening within T-24, my online reservation was "blacked out" for many hours before that. I did have a "check in" button showing, but I sure didn't feel like checking in online at a moment when it could display my reservation details!

anabolism

I'm not sure, since (a) I have been able to change seats post-OLCI, and (b) in my experience, once upgraded, I'm no longer checked-in. However, I have seen many cases where, once the flight goes to airport control, you can't pick seats.

hillrider

How new is this? I guess I wouldn't know, as I've stopped doing OLCI unless I have my absolute favorite seat because of the confirmed lack of ability to change seats in the old days.

anabolism

I rarely try to change seats post-OLCI, but I know I did it a few years ago, and I just tried it now, for a flight tomorrow, that I checked-in for earlier today (and printed BPs). I didn't actually change my seats, but it let me see the seat map, showed me which seats I could pick, and had a "submit" button to confirm changes.

hillrider

Thanks for letting me know. Nice that they fixed it (thanks Maya, I know it's you!); I will restart OLCIng then!