Questions and Answers

Today I purchased a round trip ticket, 3 passengers on American. Both the outward and return legs showed instant confirmed systemwide upgrades available for the flights and as it says on their website Book your trip then call to upgrade.
I did and whilst the outward journey was upgraded, the return leg business to first was not. It was claimed there was no availability even though there were four seats showing as being available and
clicking on the fare showed instant upgrade availability for all three passengers. AA refuse to budge
saying they will waitlist us. Fourteen hours later they are still advertising the same flight with instant systemwide upgrades from business to first. They are still trying to sell a product they claim they do not have to sell. Any suggestions as to how to deal with the brick wall I am now facing in my discussions with them?

Can you confirm the inventory is there with ExpertFlyer?

Just to confirm – you bought 3 business class tickets LHR to XXX in the US, and the AA site shows SWUs available from LHR to XXX as “Business to First”? I’d take a screen shot and Tweet it to AA. Tell them what you want. The Twitter team takes care of issues better than any other way at AA. Also, do you have a leg after XXX to ZZZ that shows upgrade availability?

[QUOTE=”OCTinPHL, post: 63202, member: 4556″]Just to confirm – you bought 3 business class tickets LHR to XXX in the US, and the AA site shows SWUs available from LHR to XXX as “Business to First”? I’d take a screen shot and Tweet it to AA. Tell them what you want. The Twitter team takes care of issues better than any other way at AA. Also, do you have a leg after XXX to ZZZ that shows upgrade availability?[/QUOTE]

I bought 3 main cabin upgradeable with SWU to business BCN to LAX via LHR. That leg was upgraded. The return leg LAX-LHR-BCN was purchased business class with immediate SWU to first class. This leg they refused to honor even though they had four seats available. I emailed AA customer service and have yet to hear. I did contact via Twitter and initially they tried to argue the available seats had not been released for upgrade but we would be put on the waitlist. I told them that was not good enough as we had chosen that particular day and flight because of the upgrade to first offer. The Twitter team said my complaint would be sent to the web team. Even during my dispute with them for some 12 hours after they continued to show the same flight, with SWU availability to first class. I sent them various screen shots but it cut no ice with them. They would not upgrade.

Hi Patrick, I can sense the frustration! Do you have an expertflyer account? Can you see the first class seats available? Or, maybe verify the space via another airline search engin? I’m wondering if it’s phantom space…

[QUOTE=”rickyw, post: 63225, member: 1436″]Hi Patrick, I can sense the frustration! Do you have an expertflyer account? Can you see the first class seats available? Or, maybe verify the space via another airline search engin? I’m wondering if it’s phantom space…[/QUOTE]

Hi Ricky, Both Expert Flyer and AA are still showing 4 available 1st class seats.The flight is AA136 LAX to LHR May 13. AA is still offering as I type this 3 SWU business to first despite refusing to upgrade us. To try to reach an agreement I proposed they could upgrade us on any flight a day or two either way. AA claimed nothing was available.

[QUOTE=”Patrick London, post: 63228, member: 3124″]Hi Ricky, Both Expert Flyer and AA are still showing 4 available 1st class seats.T.[/QUOTE]

Hey Patrick, Expert Flyer is showing 4 F seats on 136 for [B]AAytime Awards[/B], not for upgrade. To use a SWU there needs to be a seat in Bucket A – see below. Does AA’s website show SWU availability for 136 as Business to First or only Economy to Business?

[ATTACH=full]637[/ATTACH]

As a follow up – AA136 shows no SWU availability on 5/13.

[ATTACH=full]638[/ATTACH]

Hi…On my screen at 3.30pm CT it is still showing SWU business to 1st class

The four middle seats showing as available

[USER=105]@Patrick[/USER] – I don’t know what to say. Neither ExpertFlyer nor AA is showing SWU availability on 136 on 5/13. I’m not disputing there are 4 open seats in F; I just can’t find any for upgrades. Yes, both AA’s site and EF show the 4 middle seats as open. But where do you see SWU availability? It should say right next to “Seats” on AA’s site. Looking right now, I don’t see it.

Hi OCtinPHL when going thru the booking process and an array of flights are offered, some show in blue Systemwide Upgrade, some do not. This particular flight did show SWU and clicking on the link it was business to first class. As you can see although it didn’t copy well, it is still showing almost two days later
LAX
LHR
7:40 PM
2:25 PM
Nonstop
10h 45m
One way from
£ 8,463 >
Flexible
[LIST]
[*][URL=’https://www.aa.com/booking/flights/choose-flights/flight1?bookingPathStateId=1551903056371-898#’]Details, for LAX to LHR, departing at 7:40 PM Nonstop[/URL]
[*] [URL=’https://www.aa.com/booking/flights/choose-flights/flight1?bookingPathStateId=1551903056371-898#’]Seats , for LAX to LHR, departing at 7:40 PM Nonstop[/URL]
[*][URL=’https://www.aa.com/booking/flights/choose-flights/flight1?bookingPathStateId=1551903056371-898#’]Systemwide upgrades[/URL]
[/LIST]

[USER=105]@Patrick[/USER], you [I]are[/I] correct. Well, at least you are correct about what you are seeing. I logged in as EXP on the UK AA website, and it shows there are upgrades available. I can only presume there is a glitch somewhere, as EF and AA’s US website do not show the availability.

[ATTACH=full]640[/ATTACH]

I have just entered the US and Brazilian sites and the SWU is offered for the same flight. It is odd wherever you are, the AA US website did not show the SWU offer. I ran a test for four passengers as like you, I have several available SWU and it offered all four available seats in first class. A glitch in their system it may be but the decent thing would have been to honor the upgrades, which they refuse to do. I have now cancelled the ticket.
[IMG]https://www.aa.com/content/images/seatMap/seats/exitrow-blank-80×160.png[/IMG]
[IMG]https://www.aa.com/content/images/seatMap/seats/exitrow-blank-80×160.png[/IMG]