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Booking Coach and Getting Biz for Free on 3-Cabin AA Flights

April 26, 2016
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3 min read
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Booking Coach and Getting Biz for Free on 3-Cabin AA Flights
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See that ancient 2-5-2 economy up above? American still operates that cabin on many of its international routes, but you can do so much better when flying overseas. AA also flies its 777-200 on a few domestic routes (to reposition the plane for long-haul service), and while it's hardly a terrible option for a three-hour flight from Miami to Dallas, if you're an AAdvantage elite member, you can reserve a business-class seat on a few domestic routes for free!

Over the weekend, I was scheduled to fly from Miami to Denver — in coach. When I missed my flight, I rebooked via Dallas on the 777-200. The only open premium seats were in the exit row in coach or a seat up in biz. That's when I noticed that as an Executive Platinum member, I didn't have to fly squished back in the economy cabin. I changed my flight and simply clicked seat 8J — a window seat in the 2-3-2 business-class cabin (which AA is very slowly working to phase out).

Now if I had booked first class on this flight, I would have landed a lie-flat seat — the same model the Pope flew around the US during his visit in September. But I was more happy with my angle-flat business seat since I was flying on an economy ticket! Note that you'll still get economy service (so no in-flight meal), but that's not a huge deal.

So how does this work? Essentially, American needs to get its 777-200s from one hub to the next before a long-haul international flight. For example, the same plane used to operate a flight from Rio to Miami may later fly from Dallas to Tokyo. At some point between those two long-haul flights, it needs to make its way from Miami to Dallas, and rather than fly it empty (on a "ferry" flight), AA opts to load it up with paying passengers.

The challenge is, the airline will likely find it difficult to sell seats in three cabins on a short domestic flight, and with an aircraft substitution being a possibility (a 737 being swapped in for the 777, for example), it's easier for AA to just sell first class and economy tickets on the flight. This is great news if you're an elite member traveling on one of these flights, since American will let you pick a business-class seat for free.

Here are a few examples of flights where AA's selling two cabins on a three-cabin plane 777-200 (all on May 4, 2016):

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  • AA281 Miami (MIA) 7:00am Departure ⇒ Dallas (DFW) 9:12am Arrival
  • AA2391 Dallas (DFW) 4:45pm Departure ⇒ Miami (MIA) 8:30pm Arrival
  • AA2339 Chicago (ORD) 4:55pm Departure ⇒ Dallas (DFW) 7:27pm Arrival
  • AA1295 Dallas (DFW) 6:20pm Departure ⇒ Chicago (ORD) 8:38pm Arrival

You'll typically only see this with the older version of AA's 777-200 flying between Dallas and Chicago or Miami, or occasionally on A321T flights between New York and Boston. American operates the 777-300ER on several domestic routes from MIA, but the airline sells all three cabins on most of these flights. What's especially interesting about the way AA sells the 777-200 flights is that AAdvantage Gold members will need to purchase Main Cabin Extra seats (at a discount), but business-class seats are available at booking for free. The choice is pretty clear here!

Have you scored a free business-class "upgrade" on AA?

Featured image by JT Genter

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.