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Old Mar 30, 2017, 4:57 pm
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Last edit by: jay_dubya
AA Upgrade Window for AAdvantage Elites

The "upgrade window" is the time during which an upgrade may be granted to statusholders. The "upgrade window" for AAdvantage Elites varies upon elite status held. In 2017:
  • ConciergeKey - 120 hours

  • Executive Platinum - 100 hours

  • Platinum Pro - 72 hours

  • Platinum - 48 hours

  • Gold - 24 hours

  • Non-elite - no upgrade window
In fact, statusholders may be upgraded days prior to the opening of the upgrade window, even in 2017.

Conversely, higher load factors, Revenue Management predictions and actions, flight route, season, demand, supply and other factors all affect the availability of upgrade seats and when any seats might be made available to upgrade. AA has tightened upgrade availability over the recent years, but planning leading to significantly higher load factors has been undoubtedly been a major factor in upgrade "tightness" to the point even upper tier elites who get upgraded may do so airside at the gate counter.
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Has AA eliminated the upgrade window for elites?

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Old May 11, 2017, 7:13 am
  #1456  
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Originally Posted by WiscAZ
Apologies if you've posted elsewhere but have you heard anything about when AA will switch priority to 1 year EQD spend?
No info aside from what I've read here so far.
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Old May 11, 2017, 1:07 pm
  #1457  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
Upgraded for 2 segments for Sunday last night, first time in months it's been this far in advance. Looks like 100 hour window is indeed back
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Old May 11, 2017, 1:18 pm
  #1458  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Originally Posted by JonNYC
An update:

In addition to the previously mentioned fix which opened the floodgates to in-advance upgrade processing that had been blocked by some kid of technical problem, effective May 1st AA implemented a new process to further aid in this endeavor-- in this case processing more upgrades day of departure but -before- at-the-gate processing.
that would be huge for miles/copay on domestic flight. Since you now have to remove the complimentary upgrade for the mikes/copay, you fall in priority in the pall list if you didn't request the miles/copay at booking.

Thanks!
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Old May 11, 2017, 1:22 pm
  #1459  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Originally Posted by caburrito
Saturday afternoon flight as Platinum, booked maybe a month out:
PVD-PHL, Cleared 48 hours
PHL-SAN, Cleared 24 hours
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Old May 11, 2017, 1:41 pm
  #1460  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
Originally Posted by beachfan
that would be huge for miles/copay on domestic flight. Since you now have to remove the complimentary upgrade for the mikes/copay, you fall in priority in the pall list if you didn't request the miles/copay at booking.

Thanks!
I believe the processing referred to is the 500-mile upgrade list. Not sure how this helps or hinders miles/co-pay (well maybe hinder because there are fewer seats when the flight goes to the gate).
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Old May 11, 2017, 8:08 pm
  #1461  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
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Originally Posted by Zacnlinc
I'm flying SYR-DCA-BOS on Friday of this week. Noticed Sunday evening that my first leg was upgraded. Thought the 2nd leg would follow suit yesterday but it didn't. Even today the upgrade hasn't cleared (yet). They really holding on to F for this leg.
Well, here it is a mere 10 hrs before I'm to board my 2nd flight tomorrow to get to BOS and the upgrade to first has gone through.

Strange thing though is that maybe someone dropped out of the flight as the same three bulk head seats on the A319 are available. I'm glad for my row 2 seat indeed.

Two more flight on this cross country trip and we'll see if the upgrading streak continues.
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Old May 11, 2017, 9:25 pm
  #1462  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,976
3 out of 3 segments on a trip this weekend were upgraded at T-100 or better. Just like the old days.
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Old May 11, 2017, 9:46 pm
  #1463  
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
An update:

In addition to the previously mentioned fix which opened the floodgates to in-advance upgrade processing that had been blocked by some kid of technical problem, effective May 1st AA implemented a new process to further aid in this endeavor-- in this case processing more upgrades day of departure but -before- at-the-gate processing.
As an aside, they are looking for internal feedback as to if the May 1st upgrade enhancement "...as we are interested to hear if you are seeing an improved customer and employee experience." (addressed to employees, obviously.)

So, if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
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Old May 11, 2017, 10:47 pm
  #1464  
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Originally Posted by iadisgreat
I believe the processing referred to is the 500-mile upgrade list. Not sure how this helps or hinders miles/co-pay (well maybe hinder because there are fewer seats when the flight goes to the gate).
I am not beachfan, but I think the idea was that pax might switch from 500-mile to miles+copay in desperation (to try to jump the remaining list) if it gets close to the gate and they are worried about not clearing. The earlier that 500-mile upgrades clear, the less need for this costly maneuver.
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Old May 12, 2017, 11:15 am
  #1465  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
No, my concern was they hadn't been processing miles/copay in advance, and if it goes to the gate, my request date on that is later than request date on my 500 mile cert upgrades; currently that puts me lower on the list.
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Old May 12, 2017, 11:56 am
  #1466  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA PPro, 1MM
Posts: 505
This week I got my first T-100 hour upgrade of 2017. A Sunday morning BOS-ORD.
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Old May 12, 2017, 6:09 pm
  #1467  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
effective May 1st AA implemented a new process to further aid in this endeavor-- in this case processing more upgrades day of departure but -before- at-the-gate processing.
That's an improvement, and should help gate agents get flights out on time. But I really wish they'd do upgrades a bit further out, and in batches by upgrade tier, to give people a shot at picking seats and meals.
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Old May 12, 2017, 6:16 pm
  #1468  
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Originally Posted by anabolism
That's an improvement, and should help gate agents get flights out on time. But I really wish they'd do upgrades a bit further out, and in batches by upgrade tier, to give people a shot at picking seats and meals.
They do.
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Old May 12, 2017, 6:21 pm
  #1469  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
An update:

In addition to the previously mentioned fix which opened the floodgates to in-advance upgrade processing that had been blocked by some kid of technical problem, effective May 1st AA implemented a new process to further aid in this endeavor-- in this case processing more upgrades day of departure but -before- at-the-gate processing.
Jon, I posted my recent experience of being able to upgrade an domestic award ticket with stickers the first week of May. See the link to that post below. Could this be related to this new fix/process?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28277526-post305.html
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Old May 12, 2017, 6:24 pm
  #1470  
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Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
Jon, I posted my recent experience of being able to upgrade an domestic award ticket with stickers the first week of May. See the link to that post below. Could this be related to this new fix/process?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28277526-post305.html
Not in my opinion, the implementation of what you're talking about is still a couple of weeks away as reported in the forum recently. So, if there's a connection between the two (and I can't rule that out, definitively,) I don't see it, myself, off-hand.
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