Major U.S. carriers are continuing to sell discounted premium cabin upgrades until shortly before boarding while their elite members wait for those same seats. Today, I want to take a closer look at the practice, with particular focus on American Airlines. I understand why AA or any other carrier wants the money, but this is a perfect example of why I now buy the flight I want rather than organizing my travel around earning airline elite status and foolishly hoping for the illusory upgrade benefits that accompany it.

American Airlines’ Last-Minute Upgrade Sales Show Why Chasing Status Makes Less Sense

View From The Wing highlights an example of American continuing to offer paid upgrades close to boarding, even with high-ranking elite members waiting for those seats. With just 28 minutes before boarding, AA was still selling upgrades from Philadelphia to Los Angeles for $242, a pretty good deal for six-hour flight.

That sparked a discussion on reddit with many other stories.…