I wasted 15,000 miles today on a one-way upgrade award on a 2.5 hour American flight from DCA to MIA. It was a waste because I think using miles to upgrade any flight under three hours is a waste. But I did it anyway. Why? I am flying to Miami to catch a Bahamas cruise which happens to be my bachelor party. I figure I may as well enjoy myself. It’s a dinner flight, and I can kick things off right!

My call to AA was answered immediately by a pleasant lady who was obviously not based in India. My upgrade transaction was handled in minutes, and the call was done. The rep knew exactly what I wanted and handled it efficiently and with care.

While I suppose I’d rather have the option of doing this online like you can with United, it’s nice to know that at least one “legacy” airline has the kind of domestic based staff that I got to speak to today. That’s just one reason I continue to stick with AA and AAdvantage.