How We Flew American Airlines First Class for About $145 Each

Two first-class seats from Charlotte to Dallas for about $290 total—including the taxes and fees on our original award tickets. Here is exactly how we did it.

No, that was not $290 per person.

Linda and I recently flew American Airlines first class from Charlotte to Dallas–Fort Worth for an out-of-pocket cost of approximately $145 each.

There was no secret travel-agent fare. American Airlines did not do us a special favor. And despite our high elite status, these were not complimentary upgrades.

We used AAdvantage miles to book economy tickets, selected a flight with plenty of first-class availability and waited for American Airlines to offer us an upgrade at a price we were willing to pay.

Here is how the strategy worked.

We Started With Two Economy Award Tickets

About six weeks before the trip, we found economy award tickets for 9,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles per person.

The flight departed Charlotte at 8:55 a.m., so this was not one of those bargain flights that requires getting up at 2:30 in the morning or spending half the day waiting through a connection.

It was a conveniently timed nonstop flight.

The domestic award taxes and fees were just under $6 per ticket, bringing the initial cash cost to approximately $12 for both of us.

International award taxes and fees can be considerably higher, depending on the destination, routing and airlines involved.

Good mileage awards at good times are still available. However, it helps to book early, remain flexible and know what to look for.

Look at First Class Before Booking Economy

When we select an economy flight, we do not look only at the mileage price or departure time.

We also look at the first-class seat map.

Even though we initially book economy, we prefer flights showing plenty of first-class availability. In our experience, a flight showing plenty of available first-class seats may have a better chance of producing an attractive paid-upgrade offer.

That does not guarantee a low-priced upgrade. First class could suddenly sell out, and the price could increase rather than decrease.

But the seat map provides useful information.

For this flight, I saw plenty of first-class availability, so I believed there was a reasonable chance that American would eventually reduce the upgrade price.

“But I Don’t Have Many AAdvantage Miles”

You do not necessarily need to fly 65 times a year, as we do, to earn enough miles for award travel.

One way to accumulate AAdvantage miles is through an introductory credit-card offer.

For example, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has offered a bonus of 80,000 AAdvantage miles after meeting the required spending. The offer we saw required $3,000 in purchases during the first four months, with no annual fee for the first 12 months.

Credit-card offers can change, so always verify the current bonus, spending requirement, annual fee and eligibility rules before applying.

At the 9,500-mile price we found, an 80,000-mile bonus could theoretically provide enough miles for eight similar economy award tickets, with a few miles remaining.

Of course, a credit-card bonus only makes sense when the spending requirement can be met responsibly and the balance is paid without incurring expensive interest.

We also sometimes use Chase points to purchase airline tickets. For this particular trip, however, American Airlines miles gave us a very good combination of price and flexibility.

Why We Like Booking With Miles

One of the most useful features of an American Airlines award reservation is the ability to cancel an eligible trip and have the miles returned to the account.

That flexibility is valuable when trying this upgrade strategy.

Suppose you book an economy award but never receive an attractive first-class offer. You can still take the flight in economy. Depending on your plans and the applicable rules, you may also be able to cancel and look for another flight with better first-class availability.

Of course, you should not book trips you have no intention of taking merely to speculate on upgrade prices. Award availability, schedules and prices can change at any time.

But when you have legitimate flexibility, booking with miles can provide options that may not be available with the least expensive cash fares.

Then We Waited for the Upgrade Price to Drop

After booking the economy tickets, we began watching the American Airlines app.

The first upgrade offer was approximately $425 per person.

For a flight from Charlotte to Dallas, that was far more than I was willing to pay.

We passed.

The price later dropped to approximately $212 per person.

Better, but still too expensive.

It then fell to $179 per person.

That was tempting. For a flight of this length, I generally consider an upgrade below $200 worth serious consideration.

However, I could still see plenty of first-class availability. I decided to wait.

That decision involved some risk. The price could have increased, the offer could have disappeared or other passengers could have purchased the remaining seats.

But last week, the price dropped to $139 per person.

That was the price I wanted.

I immediately purchased the upgrades and selected seats 5D and 5F.

The total cost for the two confirmed first-class upgrades was $278.

The First Upgrade Offer Is Not Always the Best Offer

Many passengers assume that the first upgrade price they see will be the only offer they receive.

That is not necessarily true.

American Airlines may change the price several times before departure. The price can fall, increase or disappear completely.

The airline is evaluating how many first-class seats remain unsold and how likely passengers are to purchase them.

In our case, the upgrade price moved through several stages:

• Approximately $425 per person
• Approximately $212 per person
• $179 per person
• Finally, $139 per person

Waiting worked for us because I saw significant availability in first class.

It will not work every time.

The best strategy is to decide in advance what the upgrade is worth to you. When the price reaches that number, purchase it rather than trying to guess whether it might fall another $10 or $20.

Our Elite Status Did Not Get Us the Upgrade

I have American Airlines Platinum Pro status, and Linda has Executive Platinum status.

We mention that not because our status secured these seats—it did not—but because it demonstrates how frequently we fly and how closely we have observed the upgrade process.

Linda and I take approximately 65 domestic and international flights each year.

Despite our high status, we have received only three or four complimentary, status-based upgrades during the past year. Most of those upgrades did not clear until we were at the boarding gate or a day or two before our flight.

American now sells approximately 80% of its upgrades rather than giving those seats to elite members as complimentary upgrades.

That helps explain why free elite upgrades have become so difficult to obtain. The airline would naturally prefer to collect $139, $179 or more for a seat rather than give it away.

We no longer assume our elite status will move us into first class. When we see an upgrade price that represents good value, we often prefer to purchase the confirmed seat rather than wait and hope our names clear at the gate.

Passengers do not need elite status to receive these paid upgrade offers.

However, we recommend joining the free AAdvantage program, downloading the American Airlines app and checking the reservation regularly.

What Did We Receive for $139 Each?

The upgrade provided much more than a meal.

Linda and I enjoyed:

• Priority boarding
• An additional luggage allowance
• Large, wide first-class seats
• More personal space
• An onboard meal

Linda selected the cheese plate, while I chose the Tuscan omelette.

Would we pay $139 merely for an airline omelette and cheese plate? Of course not.

But when we considered the priority services, luggage benefits, substantially wider seats, additional space and meal together, we thought the upgrade represented excellent value.

What Did the Trip Really Cost?

Here is the complete cost for two passengers:

Expense	Cost
Two economy award tickets	19,000 AAdvantage miles
Domestic award taxes and fees	Just under $12 total
Two confirmed first-class upgrades	$278
Total cash cost	About $290
Approximate cash cost per traveler	About $145

Therefore, the most accurate way to describe the trip is:

We flew American Airlines first class from Charlotte to Dallas for approximately $145 per person in cash, plus 9,500 AAdvantage miles each.

That is a remarkable price for confirmed first-class seats on a conveniently timed 8:55 a.m. flight.

The Traveling Professor’s Five-Step Strategy

Here is the process we followed:

1. Join the free American Airlines AAdvantage program and download the app.
2. Search for reasonably priced economy award tickets at convenient times.
3. Favor flights showing plenty of available first-class seats.
4. Watch the upgrade offers rather than automatically accepting the first one.
5. Purchase when the offer reaches a price that represents good value to you.

Will This Work Every Time?

Absolutely not.

Sometimes the upgrade price never falls. Sometimes first class sells out. Sometimes the best price appears early and becomes more expensive later.

Waiting always involves a degree of risk.

But after years of frequent travel, we have learned that flying first class can sometimes cost far less than people assume.

We did not receive a special favor from American Airlines.

Our elite status did not get us the seats.

We simply booked early, selected the right flight, watched the first-class availability and understood how American’s paid upgrade offers work.

That is how Linda and I flew first class from Charlotte to Dallas for approximately $145 each in cash, plus 9,500 miles per person.

Smart airfare strategies are only one part of planning a great trip. See our small group tours for active adults, featuring thoughtfully planned itineraries and welcoming groups of travelers.