American Airlines is making clear that it would rather sell first class seats than give them away as complimentary upgrades. That may make perfect business sense, but it also chips away at one of the core reasons travelers chase elite status in the first place. Is this a penny-wise, pound-foolish approach or does the “if you want first class pay first class” mantra win out?
As flagged by View From The Wing, Isom recently spoke about American’s premium strategy and the airline’s belief that customers are increasingly willing to pay for first class, premium economy, and extra-legroom seating rather than relying on upgrades.
American, despite often lagging its peers in execution, has no reason to leave money on the table if passengers are willing to pay for the seat and in my experience, prices it a level that makes it very hard to turn down. For example, on a recent trip I was offered the following buy-up during check-in from Palm Springs (PSP) to New York (LGA) via Phoenix (PHX) and Chicago (ORD):
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
