America West is earning $25 million a year from its day of departure, space available upgrades. That’s alot of money for a company that is expected to lose money for 2003 and turn a small profit in 2004.
There’s no fare distinctions. Any paid passenger qualifies, provided that there’s first class availability four hours or less before the flight. The price varies based on distance of the flight.
America West pays a commission of $5 per upgrade that they sell this way.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
