Yesterday, I wrote an update on my AAdvantage in Atlanta experiment. Long story short, a confluence of travel requirements means I’m flying American a bit in and out of my Atlanta home base for several weeks. Yes, that Atlanta. The one where Delta operates a hub….and it’s working out for me, a Platinum Medallion SkyMiles member. As a lowest tier AAdvantage Gold member, I am was at a 66 percent upgrade rate. How did we make it from “am” to “was?”
As I noted yesterday, my connecting flight from Miami was quite full. I did manage to nab a Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in (complimentary to Gold members at 24 hours prior to departure). Frankly, I was pretty happy with that given that the first class cabin had been showing full for a day or 2. Since I was flying an #ExpertFlyerFriendly airline, I checked bookings during my connection, and one more time just before boarding to find 0 seats available. Further, I was #2 for 0 on the upgrade list, so I walked on and took my seat.
Boarding was far more chaotic than I remembered taking the same flight the previous week, but we were booked more heavily too. For whatever reason, I decided to look at ExpertFlyer one more time to see if anyone had no-showed, and what do you know? There were now two seats open up front. I took a quick look at the AA iPhone app just for curiosity, but found myself still assigned to my coach seat. Telling myself I was being crazy, I got comfortable in my MCE seat and just watched the scene outside the window…..until I couldn’t help but look one more time at about the 10 minutes until departure mark, and what did I see?
That’d be your’s truly assigned to 5F in first class. A minute or 2 later, the agent appeared with my new boarding pass, had found space for my bag in first class, and held traffic just long enough for me to make a break for my new seat. This was not the longest flight in the world, but 2 hours is just enough for an upgrade to matter. If you were wondering, the first passenger on the upgrade list received the same treatment.
This might seem silly, but little things like this make an impression. It’s not the first time I’ve ever been collected from the coach cabin and been handed an upgraded boarding pass, but suffice it to say, it’s been a looooonnnnnggggg time. I won’t forget it. Oh yeah, that upgrade percentage now? Counting the two flights I’m taking today which have already cleared – 87.5 percent. A fluke? Maybe. Market specific? Indeed, a factor. Still stellar? You bet!
-MJ, May 9, 2015
AAwsome!
Now that you’ve had a few flights on AA, does this feel like the same AA you ‘left’ a few years ago?
Thoroughly enjoying your AA posts.
AG,
It feels a little different…..and I mostly like it.
I’m confused. I thought only Executive Platinum got automatic upgrades so that Gold would need to use upgrade stickers. Is that not so or did you use stickers?
I used “stickers.” I have a few. Look for a post on flight price/upgrade/sticker cost in the near future. Hint – I’m still coming out ahead.
Sadly I’ve had more than one AA flight where I was the only one on the upgrade list. In one situation the flight left with 2 open F seat & the most recent example the 1 seat that opened up was given to some moves for weight & balance rather than clearing the one person in the upgrade list (me). The new AA has been a real let down for this Platinum.
@M2,
I had that happen to me on a flight out of SNA a few years ago (no UPG due W&B). The agent told the F/A to move me up after takeoff. They offered to let me move up, but I was in row 9 on a 757, and offered the same service I’d get up front. I just kept my exit row.
If, as a Gold, you paid for MCE seats and later your upgrade cleared, would your $$ be refunded?
@Colleen,
I believe so. Not having experienced the exact situation, I can’t verify it, but just poking around online, indications are that the answer is yes.