Sometimes the best upgrade is the one you do not take.
Why I Turned Down A First Class Upgrade On American Airlines
Recently I flew from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX) on American Airlines. Before departure, I had the option to upgrade to first class for $189.
Normally, that would be an easy decision. My general rule of thumb is that if a domestic first class upgrade costs less than about $50 per hour of flight time, it is worth it. I’ll pay more on certain routes and if a lie-flat seat is available. But even the “Oasis” recliner seat on AA is more comfortable, service is better, and I find I can work far more efficiently than in economy class.
But this flight was different.
The Poor Man’s First Class On A Reverse-Redeye Flight
This was a late-night flight leaving Chicago O’Hare around 10:00 pm and arriving in Los Angeles close to 12:30 am local time. That’s already past my bedtime and my productivity at that hour is not great.
As I checked the seat map, I noticed economy class was very empty. Several rows were completely open. That gave me an idea, though I did not want to get hopes up…
Instead of paying $189 to upgrade, I reassigned myself to a row in economy class that was empty. In fact, I selected the middle seat on purpose to discourage anyone else from selecting the row.
Yes, it was a bit risky.
Standby passengers could have cleared. An earlier cancelled flight could have filled the plane. And if that happened, I may have been stuck in the middle seat I had chosen (the upgrade offer would have been gone by that time).
Before boarding, I asked the gate agent whether the row still appeared empty. After confirming it did, I boarded the aircraft.
And the gamble paid off.
It quickly became clear the flight was going out with plenty of empty seats including the seats on either side of me. I stretched out across the entire row and promptly fell asleep, sleeping nearly the entire flight.
Ironically, my “poor man’s first class” was probably more comfortable than the actual first class seats at the front of the aircraft!
While I tend to fly in premium cabins whenever possible, there is one situation where economy can be better: when you have the entire row to yourself.
As an aside, this was the second American Airlines flight in a row where I had an entire row to myself.
Two flights do not make a trend, of course. But the experience does lend some anecdotal support to the growing narrative that American Airlines is struggling to fill planes out of Chicago.
Another interesting wrinkle: even if I had only held the lowest tier of AAdvantage Gold status, I likely would have cleared the upgrade on this flight.
But sometimes the best seat on the plane is not in first class.
CONCLUSION
I had the opportunity to upgrade to first class on American Airlines for $189 on a late-night flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. Instead, I took a calculated gamble and kept an empty row in economy class. It turned out to be the right call. Stretching out across three seats beat a recliner seat in first class and saved $189 in the process.
Sometimes the smartest upgrade decision is no upgrade at all!
Would you rather have three economy seats or a domestic first class seat?
Can you keep the seatbelt fastened while stretched out like that? I’ve never sat in an empty row on a flight, so I’m curious about how to lie down and still use the seatbelt. Thanks.
I did keep my seatbelt fastened, but much looser than normal.
If I have a row to myself, I ask for a seatbelt extender. The flight attendants have always been happy to provide one, especially when I tell them I’d like to lie down and sleep when I have the entire row to myself.
Wasn’t it AA that expected their flight attendants to tell fliers, they needed to pay for the additional seats, if they did just this?
Or did they abandon such a ridiculous notion?
To the lout that appeared as a slob and had his feet up on the seats on my recent AA flight out of Chicago…… I digress….
My shoes were off, tiny child, and I had a blanket under me and over me.
“Yes, it was a bit risky.” Glad it paid off. $189 isn’t bad. I’m assuming no meal because 10PM flight, but, still, beverages, etc., might’ve been nicer up-front. Did F sit empty, or did complimentary upgrade go to someone?
Cabin went out full, but looked like non-revs cleared into F.
Ahh, classic. Well, ya know, they deserve somethin’ nice, too, every once in a while, no?
Have you seen the Modern Family episode where Claire gets bumped to first class while Phil sits in coach? Fabulous one. Your headline made me wonder if this was a similar situation.
That would have been a similar answer!
This is literally just Air New Zealand’s Skycouch Economy, 3 economy seats all to yourself that you can lie down on on their 777-300ER or 787-9s.
Although they have an extra section of padding supplied that makes the whole area like a flat bed. My family and I did it a few times from the USA to Auckland. Not bad when the kids are super young.
If you’re really a hotel free agent this year, just make a few AA Hotels bookings and get your gold status. I presume you have the AA executive card for the lounges. So you’ll get 10x miles on your bookings which is an excellent return on spend. And you’ll get at least the “up to 5x offers” with AA hotels until you get status and get the “up to 10x offers”. Can get up to 10k miles/LPs for a one night stay and 15k miles/LPs for a two night stay.
Yes you have to comparison shop, but for instance, next month I have 3 separate stays. Getting ~25k miles/LPs from the “offers”. And the spend is ~$2.5k total so getting 25k miles with the AA exec card. Yes you have to comparison shop but that’s 50k miles (which I value at $750) and 25k LPs.
LP bonus at 60k this year isn’t as good as in years past but the reality is you should coast to Platinum with the AA executive card with the extra 10k LPs at 50k LPs. That gets you to 60k LPs and gets you the 25% LP bonus on AA hotel stays / other AA partner transactions (eshopping etc.). Yes there’s a 25k LP cap but you’re not going to hit that so don’t worry about it. And with Platinum can get complimentary MCE at booking (which is great when flying solo or with the family) and you get into all of the oneworld business lounges as OWSapphire on your travels.
It’s just very achievable to get low to mid level status with AA on very minimal spend. And low to mid level airline status is infinitely more valuable than low to mid level hotel status.
Just my continued two cents!
YES!! AA Hotels and MCE, for the win!!
“It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.”
– John Paul Jones –
Back when United flew the SAAB 340 turboprops, a lot of them had the row of four in the back (and no lav). I’d take a red-eye in from the west coast, board the SAAB at IAD for the regional flight, get a seat in the back, and lie down and pass out for an hour. Not sure if I could do that now in my 40’s, but it was easy in my 20’s.
Matthew,
How long before the flight were they asking $189?
(Also, may I ask who makes your travel blanket ?)
Yes the nice blanket or duvet can make things super comfy
Was that price from 72hrs before to check-in.
I have a couple United blankets that were given to me at media events. This is one, and I also have one from the old Global First.
Seems one cannot avoid being put on the auto upgrade list when using the aa app. Frequently on lighter traveled trips to say HDN or JAC I find myself being upgraded to a full first class section. If the exit row is still wide open..I downgrade myself after notifying the FA’s. More room in a wide open exit row. Not sure if one can even keep from being added automatically to the upgrade list when making a res.
Literally just Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch lol
is that a polaris blankie
Best coast-to-coast red-eye flight I had was in 1992. It was an L1011, and there were only about 30 passengers. Flight attendants told us once we were aloft and the “fasten seat belt” signs were off, we could move anywhere we’d like in the coach cabin. I made a beeline for an empty row of 5 center seats, folded up all the armrests, an attendant gave me 3 pillows and 2 blankets, and I slept for most of that almost 6-hour flight, with a seatbelt slightly snugged around my waist. It was great, and I arrived at my home airport fully rested.
Me personally I can’t sleep in a row of three like that so I would take the seat in F.
I sleep in the fetal position so it worked for me, though it’s not like lying across five seats on United’s old 2-5-2 777s!
Looks like a Polaris blanket did you buy it or…. 🙂
It is a Polaris blanket. Was given to me at one of the United media events.
It looks like a fairly high-quality product, resembling a thin quilt.
where did the blanket come from!?
I took the late flight on UA ORD-LAX and even as 1K did not clear the upgrade list. And had to settle for middle economy plus.
Yes, the late UA ORD-LAX flights (all UA flights, it seems) are full.
I do this all the time. I call it “flagship economy”. I even have a custom blanket and pillow branded with the AA Logo and Flagship Economy. I carry my own seat belt extension. I just asked the agent for a whole row,
LOL. Flagship Economy. I love it!