Unofficial: Complimentary CK/EXP Premium Economy Upgrades?
Jan 18, 2017, 3:55 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
...which makes the complimentary UGs to PE even more probably for a EXP in Y if they do not want to burn a SWU (or miss it). ^ (as the CK/EXPs in W will go to J first)
Either way, it looks good for not having to sit in Y or MCE on a PE plane for an EXP!
Jan 18, 2017, 4:56 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,645
Logically this would make sense, otherwise it would open a back door for a PLT to get an upgrade from PE before an EXP from Y, and having maybe paid $300 more for that ticket. But in the big picture, with the new EQD requirements in place, the EXP has (or will) likely spent more $s than a PLT over the year.
Also, with the rolling EQD (spend) UG prioritization going into effect between pax in the same tier, doing otherwise would complicate things even further..
Also, with the rolling EQD (spend) UG prioritization going into effect between pax in the same tier, doing otherwise would complicate things even further..
I'm quite positive in speculating that it will be this.
...which makes the complimentary UGs to PE even more probably for a EXP in Y if they do not want to burn a SWU (or miss it). ^ (as the CK/EXPs in W will go to J first)
Either way, it looks good for not having to sit in Y or MCE on a PE plane for an EXP!
...which makes the complimentary UGs to PE even more probably for a EXP in Y if they do not want to burn a SWU (or miss it). ^ (as the CK/EXPs in W will go to J first)
Either way, it looks good for not having to sit in Y or MCE on a PE plane for an EXP!
From a EXP wishful thinking point of view, yes, EXP Y > PLAT W makes totally sense.
From a profit/revenue point of view (I guess AA's point of view), If W (Premium Economy) is something designed to stay (not a one year experiment), then PLAT W > EXP Y makes more sense to me.
IF you are an EXP and are potentially frustrated that the PLAT willing to spend $300 more for W gets your upgrade, well, then you may as well spend the $300 extra yourself (pennies for you) and beat the PLAT in the upgrade list.
IF 300 is too much for you then you might fall in the cheapo-EXP category (no offense, I've been one myself). And AA does not care about cheapo EXPs getting pissed off.
At the end of the day, upgrading from Y to J for practical matters will require an up-fare for any decent chance of successful upgrade (and then it is just like UAs system where higher fare is required)
Jan 18, 2017, 5:10 pm
#33
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 947
Remember, the W cabins won't be large, so the pool of potential upgraders with waitlist priority over a Y-paying EXP won't be large, either. Remember that the number of SWU's awarded has been cut roughly in half. Remember that somebody who pays for W doesn't have as big an incentive to use an SWU because W is better than Y. And remember that with complementary EXP upgrades Y>W, the incentive to use a SWU to get out of Y goes down.
That's my $0.02, anyway.
Jan 18, 2017, 7:25 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
-FlyerBeek
Jan 18, 2017, 7:34 pm
#35
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Definitely.
Jan 19, 2017, 4:41 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
When Premium Economy launches as its own class of service, upgrades from Main Cabin to Premium Economy will not be available via mileage or systemwide upgrades and will clear from Main Cabin or Premium Economy into Business.
We’re developing temporary options to give our customers a way to upgrade into this new class of service and we’ll announce more details once they’re available.
We’re developing temporary options to give our customers a way to upgrade into this new class of service and we’ll announce more details once they’re available.
Personally, I would guess that it makes sense to ultimately allow miles upgrades from economy to premium economy and premium economy to business at a lower rate (no copay?) than economy to business even if they do continue to offer economy to business long term. Why would they not eventually offer upgrades like that? However, I can certainly understand them wanting to wait for a while before adding upgrades to or from premium economy to the award chart, both to see how sales/upgrades/fares work out and to have premium economy rolled out on more planes.
Jan 19, 2017, 6:27 am
#37
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
This is how it is now, so, personally, I'll save my planning for "the next phase" when there's a next phase.
At least it's a chance for some to get good use of their (small allotment of) 2016-earned-SWUs during any such phase-in period, "one year at a time' as it were.
Last edited by JonNYC; Jan 19, 2017 at 7:06 am
Jan 19, 2017, 11:55 am
#39
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
Finally some good news on the AA front...
HT: JonNYC and OMAAT (http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...my-upgrades-2/).
- Systemwide Upgrades (SWUs) will still be valid for upgrades to the business class cabin, even on aircraft with premium economy
- CKs and EXPs will receive complimentary day of departure upgrades from economy to premium economy
-FlyerBeek
HT: JonNYC and OMAAT (http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...my-upgrades-2/).
- Systemwide Upgrades (SWUs) will still be valid for upgrades to the business class cabin, even on aircraft with premium economy
- CKs and EXPs will receive complimentary day of departure upgrades from economy to premium economy
-FlyerBeek
Jan 19, 2017, 4:39 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA (PPro/3MM/Admirals Club), AS, UA, Marriott (Gold), HHonors (Gold), Accor (Plat)
Posts: 2,602
I can see arguments for your approach as well as just prioritizing within elite tier, but I do hope that purchasing PE has some effect on priority. There's probably a bunch of flights where I'm willing to risk an upgrade where the fallback is PE but not where it's coach, and it would be great if paying for the better service also meant the upgrade was more likely.
If there are oversells, then of course the GA may bump up PROs and below to W. Also I understand there will be a way to buy up at check-in.
Last edited by makfan; Jan 19, 2017 at 4:46 pm Reason: Reply to another post in same reply.
Jan 19, 2017, 5:22 pm
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
I am wondering how they would be able to do it without getting the ticket re-issued. If they need to reissued the ticket to reflect the new fare code(W or up), then you can technically earn more miles by first using the AA numbers, then change the FFP during boarding.
-FlyerBeek
Jan 20, 2017, 5:32 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
Here's the challenge AA likely is debating. Should paid PE pax, even low status members, have first priority for their mileage/eVIP supported upgrades to J (i.e., all paid PE clear to J first, based on status of course), and THEN all paid Y pax (based on status) clear to J? As an EXP I would of course like my Y ticket to have higher J UPG priority than a lower status paid PE pax, but would be surprised if AA adopts this approach.
Jan 20, 2017, 6:25 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: NYC,MIA,XFL
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, DL PM
Posts: 863
Here's the challenge AA likely is debating. Should paid PE pax, even low status members, have first priority for their mileage/eVIP supported upgrades to J (i.e., all paid PE clear to J first, based on status of course), and THEN all paid Y pax (based on status) clear to J? As an EXP I would of course like my Y ticket to have higher J UPG priority than a lower status paid PE pax, but would be surprised if AA adopts this approach.
Jan 20, 2017, 6:33 am
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
-FlyerBeek
Jan 20, 2017, 6:45 am
#45
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: NYC,MIA,XFL
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, DL PM
Posts: 863
Conversely, if buying pe guarantees that you're at worst number 21 on the upgrade list - aa will effectively be discouraging customers from buying J by guaranteeing them a decent spot on the list and a comfortable fall back. If I'm correct, we may see Y to J upgrades remaining long term even with pe.
Maybe just wishful thinking...
Maybe just wishful thinking...