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.