Follow-up with ATL and MCO. Just looked at my 1/25 outbound and all but 1 seat in FC is open. Where as 3 weeks in advance earlier this month it was filled up. Return is currently wide open.

And lucky for me in between have MCO-SEA-LAX-SEA-MCO and all but the first flight is wide open. Would be nice on the return tcon.

Thought FCM was getting out of control (it is). Bought another last minute tix 1 day out with 6 FC seats available - turned out to be a B fare. At OLCI I was #6 of some 30. Couldn't believe it so call the DM line.

Turns out bunch of folks using RUC/GUC's ahead of me and 2 DM's with probably B fares with Reserve or Y fares. By 12 hours 5 seats had been probably sold (I was offered to buy up to F at checkin).

Call the DM line again to find out if I can use an ECV instead of paying, DM line does better. Gets me into confirmed discount F fare (A) for 3 of four legs and gets me $270 refund back from my B/M fare combination.

I guess it's working? :confused:

Does anyone ever get FCM offers on itineraries where one or more legs are already upgraded? I just booked a flight where my upgrade on the outbound cleared immediately, and there's no FCM offer for the return.

Some flights they seem to hold for sale until past departure time...

DM on a U fare. I was rebooked yesterday (twice) due to flight cancellation. My 2nd leg cleared into FC immediately, but the 1st I didn't even get a C+ upgrade. There were 6 FC seats available and 8 C+ seats.

The first CSR told me that they don't clear upgrades day of departure (which was clearly a lie as the 2nd one immediately cleared).

I pulled a HUCA and tried again as I really would have preferred to choose my C+ seat as not a middle, and that CSR tried her best but said that for some reason they were holding those seats back, and that they were available for sale, but that I was #1 for both C+ and FC so that I'd likely clear. She said she might be able to take me off the wait list and try again but that someone advised her not to do so, that it might make it worse.

The flight was delayed an hour, from 4:30 to 5:30. At 4:45 they finally cleared me and one other into FC and 1 into C+ (there were 7 left at this point so evidently one was either purchased or given to someone luckier than I), and announced that they "couldn't" clear the remaining 4 FC and 6 C+ for another 10 min (now 25 min past original departure time).

What do they think, that at 4:55 for a 4:30 (now 5:30) departure that they will sell those seats??

No, they were probably holding them for possible re-routes and IRROPS, unless your flight was the only one leaving an isolated outstation at that time. But if you were leaving a hub, or traveling hub-hub, this is at least a possible explanation.

The other day with all the bad weather in the system, I had a flight that was all over the place for availability and the upgrade list. Initially I was 1/5 for 2, then 1/5 for 0, then 3/7 for 0, then 3/7 for 1, then 1/3 for 4...at which point of course the flight canceled :) :rolleyes:

That isn't clearing for upgrade after departure, it's clearing for upgrade under gate control. If the flight is delayed, that is going to delay the timing of upgrades at the gate.

Except for my IRROPs which didn't rate a C+. It's irritating that they'll hold the FC and C+ for others but not give them to someone already delayed 12 hours. I didn't even care so much about the FC but the lack of C+ was a bit of a slap in the face.

Btw, I was rebooked on that flight over 5 hrs before the original departure so it was unlikely at gate control at that point. CSR confirmed the C+ and FC seats were held as available for actual sale and were specifically NOT available for IRROPs (or at least, for mine). IRROPs were only given coach, period. Flight was not full nor oversold and went out with C+ seats empty.

It was MCO. Not a hub but plenty of flights in and out both before and after. Weather had been horrid Sun/Mon but was cleared up by Mon evening, although the ripples from ATL were still in force.

Which seem to be arbitrary anyhow. Sometimes I see it clear 45-60 min before departure, and others 10 min after boarding starts. It was the "not allowed to clear them" piece that caught my attention.

That also irritates me because somehow someone else's luck with the desk to clear them straight into C+ will leave me with a middle seat for a flight that I am on due to Delta's flight cancellation. It's weather so I don't blame them for the cancellation, but they could at least clear into C+ for the rebook.

Ok SO how do you take advantage of this for one way? I have a friend who has an offer for around $1,000 to Europe in about 6 weeks, but when we try to buy we an only get the round trip option. She's flying in the day family wedding festivities start so it would be worth it to be able to sleep on the way over.

I played around on her Delta account and I can't see a way to only buy one way.

Thanks for any suggestions!

I flew yesterday (1/28)
DL ATL-SEA 1929 763
DL SEA-SFO 4869 E175

4869 was upgrade as soon as I SDC'd to it (about 24 hours in advance while I was on phone with agent)

When I went to check-in on my phone after the call to get my BPs, I got an offer for flight 1929 to upgrade for $299. 6 available so I declined.

A week or so ago, I was traveling with my non-status wife and son. I was booked using cash, and they were booked on a separate reservation using Skymiles. At check-in time there were 4 seats available up front and I had NOT cleared in advance as a DM on a K fare. They were offered first class at $309 each (no offer for me). I ended up clearing at the gate, as 3rd for 4, on the list of 40 or so. This was MSP-SFO on a Friday night for what that's worth.

I never get check-in offers to buy upgrades and honestly there are times that I would. Presume it may be due to virtually every itinerary requiring a connection.

You need to call - as you've noticed, the web site doesn't offer the option for J outbound only. Phone agents will gladly sell this (no phone fee anymore, BTW).

Thanks! I will pass it on. I kind of assumed the phone agents couldn't see the upgrade offers, but I am not sure why I thought that! :cool:

Today on Flight 110 ATL-LAX there was 8 empty FC at check in. Im a PM and I was on a M fare. I was #25/49!!! I have been EXP on American for years and even hub to hub on last minute tickets I've never been passed 10 or 11. Comfort Plus on the 757-300 was excellent so I cannot complain. I don't care for American Airline so Ill deal with it for now. We really have crappy choices now a days!

$309 being offered for PHL-SLC-SMF in a couple of weeks. This is on a $170 one way V fare...

Meanwhile, lowest F price on the same flights is about $810 one way currently, so this is a 40% discount

Very tempting, as PHL-SLC is operated by lie-flat 757 (continuation of DL195 LHR-PHL)...and I will be without status for a brief period of time meaning no priority boarding and no shot at comp upgrade...and we will be checking a couple of bags at $25 each.

If it was just me, I would bite for sure, but it's me and a companion and I would be picking up the tab for both...

I assume it would re-fare to A or P...but without knowing for sure...

Decisions, decisions...