American Airlines has introduced a new bidding for upgrade system, so far only available for a limited set of flights.
They’ll let non-elite members make an offer starting 6 days prior to departure, and you find out at least 24 hours before the flight if it’s been accepted. Your credit card is only charged if the offer is accepted. American does not promise to accept any offers even if there are first class seats open.
Cancellation and Refunds of Successful Offers
After you’ve made the offer you’ll be given a chance to revise it, although there’s no refunds once your offer has been accepted — unless irregular operations prevent you from receiving the seat you’ve won.
I don’t like the terms and conditions of their refund policy in the event of irregular operations, though:
In the event your Offer was accepted and your credit card was charged the Offer amount but the Upgrade was not provided, you may apply for a refund at www.refunds.aa.com. Your request must include the original boarding pass for the flight in question. If you are not able to provide the original boarding pass for the flight in dispute, American Airlines is under no obligation to refund you for the amount you paid for the Upgrade.
I guess this means you shouldn’t check-in with the American Airlines mobile app, because that would mean you wouldn’t have an original boarding pass to provide to substantiate the refund request.
American Has Long Offered Excess First Class Seats for Paid Upgrades at the Airport
American has historically offered buy ups at the airport as well, occasionally disappointing elites, but their system is set up with the intention not to do that — to offer paid upgrades only when they project that all elites will be accommodated with their upgrade requests. This sometimes gets foiled when passengers change flights, but it’s rare, and American remains fairly good about holding back first class seats until the gate and as a result upgrade top elites who do make changes.
Paid Airport Upgrades CAN Come at the Expense of Elite Upgrades
United offers non-elites “buy up” offers at check-in subject to availability. And since those offers are sometimes made when elites haven’t cleared the upgrade list, and will not clear the upgrade list, that has generated anger amongst United’s elite flyers. This is doubly so because the offers made to general members on United are sometimes quite cheap — “tens of dollars” — that elite members would have accepted rather than roll the dice on a complimentary upgrade if they’d been given the chance.
We’re Assured the ‘Make an Offer’ Upgrade Program Will Come Only After Elites are Upgraded
American continues to assure that this philosophy will prevail — that they don’t intend to offer paid upgrades except when they are already satisfying elite upgrade requests.
Elite Status Members: AAdvantage elite status members (Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum members) should continue to request 500-mile upgrades (complimentary or purchased) as normal. This option is offered to passengers who aren’t able to use 500-mile upgrades, either because they aren’t AAdvantage members, or because they are traveling on fares that are not eligible. Rest assured that elite status member upgrade requests will continue to be given priority and will not be impacted by this program.
(Underlining mine.)
If true, then this just represents a change from the method they use to sell those excess seats – instead of a fixed-price offer at the check-in kiosk, a price customers have said in advance they’d be willing to pay.
Nonetheless, if the test is successful I do worry that American will be tempted to generate even more revenue, at the expense of elite members. But for now we have no reason to believe that’s in the offing.
The System is Being Increasingly Used By Airlines Around the World
Here are some other airlines using the same software currently.
If you’re not an American Airlines elite, you may soon have the opportunity to bid on upgraded seats. We’ll see what excess first class seats are worth to passengers, soon enough!
(HT: NotiFlyer)
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The claim that it won’t happen at the expense of elites is plausible as long as it’s still only EXPs who are eligible for complimentary upgrades. But if they expand the complimentary upgrade program to include Plats and Golds once the merger finalizes (as you and others have been predicting), they’ll be able to fill domestic F with complimentary upgrades almost every time. So it seems like something has to give — either your prediction isn’t going to be right, or else some of these upgrades are going to come at the expense of elites.
Agree with above. I’ve not seen an empty seat in an AA F cabin in forever. Something smells fishy.
I read the “guarantee” quoted in the article as applying only to coupon-based upgrade requests, not any current or future “unlimited, complementary” upgrades.
Indeed, it would be a poor business decision to give away upgrades when the seats could be sold for non-nominal amounts.
But as a Platinum, there’s nothing stopping me from throwing in a lowball bid on a flight where I wouldn’t normally spending stickers, right?
I’m not going to waste a $30 sticker on PIT-ORD, but I’d probably spend $8 to $10 if I thought I was going to have a beverage anyway.
AA is testing the waters with this method which has been popularized by Austrian and others. if AA/US harmonize Elite, and move to 4th upper tier, perhaps they move away from stickers for Gold, Platinum and use this bidding technique – at some point do they nip at the free upgrade for EXP?
So – If I am upgraded from Y – to Biz early out – can I then bid on the F product?
I am flying out tomorrow and my comp upgrade has not cleared yet. That’s strange as an EXP, specially since they still have 6 F seats available on the 757 according to Expertflyer… I hope that they are not testing the waters into the EXP domain.
Here’s my 2 main observations from Air New Zealand’s implementation: First, even though NZ say they will not prioritize elite upgrades over their Plusgrade upgrades, there’s enough evidence to suggest this does not always happen, whether by intentional manipulation by NZ or technological “challenges”. Second, NZ no longer releases ANY trans-pacific business class award space from LAX/SFO/YVR. This occurred around about the same time as they introduced Plusgrade. Coincidence? Why release award seats (or complimentary upgrades) when they can sell a Y or Y+ seat AND opaquely charge for the premium seat? Given the apparent success with NZ’s system, I am surprised more airlines have not yet followed suit.
Ooops, edit above needed. It should have read: …NZ say they will not prioritize Plusgrade upgrades over their elite upgrades, there’s enough evidence to suggest this does not always happen…
Any suggestions on how much to bid for a daytime non-stop LAX/BOS flight on New Years Eve? I have checked and first is wide open. I have upgrade certificates for me and my husband but taking some other family that I would love to treat to first. Don’t want to lowball the bid and get rejected but don’t want to over bid as well. Thanks for any advice/suggestions.