Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend

Old May 16, 2017, 12:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
As of May 20, 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
  1. Elite status
    1. Concierge Key
    2. Executive Platinum
    3. Platinum Pro
    4. Platinum
    5. Gold
  2. Upgrade type
    1. Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades, Business Extra? (SWU)
    2. 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets (including EXP complimentary UDU)
    3. 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards (including EXP complimentary UDU)
    4. BXP Business Extra upgrades

Elite qualifying dollars* in the past 12 months
  • Booking class (in order, J, D, I, W, P, Y, H, K, M, L, V, G, S, N, Q, O, T)
    Time of request


  • *Your 12-month Rolling EQD value is different from your Year-to-Date (YTD) EQDs, which is used to track your progress toward elite status. It includes your EQD earned from reaching qualifying spend thresholds on eligible AAdvantage AviatorTM MasterCard cards.

    Link to EQD earning Help Desk thread on FlyerTalk.

    No- or lower status companion and effect on upgrade position

    WAIT LIST, SAME PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
    • SWU, Miles & Copay, Business Extra: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status. (BX is unsure, stated as least of priorities, likely to up D-24 only)
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
        • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status



    WAIT LIST, SEPARATE PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"




    AIRPORT LIST, SAME PNR:
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status. (BX is unsure, but is least of priorities, likely to up D-24 only)
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status



    AIRPORT LIST, SEPARATE PNR:
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"



    NOTES:
    1. Traveling companion 500 mile upgrades (even for those pax using UDU) "stickers" must pull from higher status passenger's account.
      • Lower status passenger previously "borrowing" higher status may require human processing at the airport to re-establish "borrowed status" linkage


    (Companion information thanks to DW)
Print Wikipost

Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend

Old May 22, 2017, 8:50 am
  #136  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,268
Originally Posted by beachfan
Is the waitlist for miles/copy prior to PALL list changing too?
Sorry for quoting my own thread, but the question got buried quick
beachfan is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 10:27 am
  #137  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,624
The rolling EQD requirement makes me rethink my qualifying strategy. My CPM is right at the level where I will pass the EQD threshold barely before I pass the EQM threshold. What I've done in the past is spread out my travel between AA and UA, qualifying for EXP and 1K. My travel patterns allow me to purchase 4-6 weeks before travel, which puts me pretty high on the upgrade list for my domestic travel. With an EQD level of ~$12K I will now be Tail-End Charlie.

So, I have a choice. Take my $12K from UA and apply to AA, or take my my $12K from AA and apply it to UA. Fish or cut bait, which I'm sure is EXACTLY what AA is trying to incent me to do. Unfortunately, my travel patterns don't make it easy to give up one or the other.
Catbert10 is online now  
Old May 22, 2017, 11:20 am
  #138  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
Not really sure what my rolling EQD level is, but as a data point on a Monday morning ORD-SFO ( super elite heavy) flight. Was told there were 3CKs and 18 EXPs (!) On the flight waiting for one upgrade. With about 12kEQD this year (so put me at ~18k rolling maybe? I was 11, so 8/18 EXPs supposedly...

Maybe I shouldn't have put all that domestic first spend on BA.
no2chem is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 12:50 pm
  #139  
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: BAGold; AA3MMPlat; UA1MMGold; FBGold; MarriottAmb; AccorPlat; HHGold; ICPlatAmb; HyattDiscoverist
Posts: 4,378
Originally Posted by Catbert10

So, I have a choice. Take my $12K from UA and apply to AA, or take my my $12K from AA and apply it to UA. Fish or cut bait, which I'm sure is EXACTLY what AA is trying to incent me to do. Unfortunately, my travel patterns don't make it easy to give up one or the other.
Well, I think they are trying to incentivize you to fish, and not to cut bait!
But in any case, as another potential "Tail End Charlie" (I'm not sure how my full year EQDs will measure up, but I suspect they will be in the $12-13K range --and that WITH a $3K boost from the Aviator card), I have a choice, too. I can credit all my 1W flights to AA (nowadays, beginning in November with another BAEC requalification year, I credit all the front cabin ones to BA until I hit 15K TPs) and forget about BA, but I don't think I want to do that yet; or I can upgrade my Aviator card to Silver and put another $25K spend on it to get another $3K EQDs, but given the lack of value of AAdvantage miles nowadays (and my very large unused pile of them), I am reluctant to do that just to get myself somewhere out of the tail and into the lower middle class.
I've generally booked my flights 4-5 weeks out and had pretty good success on UGs (MIA and the transcons have been the tough ones for me); I've often been #1 on the list, occasionally #2 or #3 , and usually there's been at least one seat up for grabs on domestics. I don't do much domestic flying anymore, though--maybe 2 transcon R/Ts, one mid-con, 1 JFK-BOS a year, so I think I'll just take my chances for this year and see how it plays out for me.
rfrost is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 1:16 pm
  #140  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: AA EXP, UA, DL
Posts: 5
What is my rolling EQD?

First post, but I'm trying to understand the upgrade priority changes.

How do I know that AA is using the correct rolling EQDs? I just looked into my account and none of my 2016 flight lists my EQD numbers. Do you all see this glitch on the website? For what I know, my August-December 2016 EQDs (~$10K?) are not added right now. I dont even know if those values had been calculated at all. Either the sum is wrong or the system lacks transparency.
DBOS is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 1:34 pm
  #141  
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,548
Originally Posted by DBOS
First post, but I'm trying to understand the upgrade priority changes.

How do I know that AA is using the correct rolling EQDs? I just looked into my account and none of my 2016 flight lists my EQD numbers. Do you all see this glitch on the website? For what I know, my August-December 2016 EQDs (~$10K?) are not added right now. I dont even know if those values had been calculated at all. Either the sum is wrong or the system lacks transparency.
They're not displaying them in your account, so you just have to assume they're doing it correctly.
deeruck is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 2:56 pm
  #142  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
Originally Posted by no2chem

Also, what I don't get is why there are so many CKs requesting domestic upgrades. Maybe they were just nominated or something, but I always assumed that to get to high CK spends you're probably paying for domestic F (for work-related travel) and upgrades are only relevant during leisure travel. Same for high EQD spend EPs. The rest of us are stuck with domestic Y only travel policies.

....

But seeing several CKs on the upgrade list recently, seems to contradict... Maybe I need to figure out how to get one of these nominations .
When I used to be CK, my company had a corporate policy that flights had to be more than 6 hours to book Biz/First. As such, any mid-continental trips (based in BOS) would be in coach. Of course, CK wasn't a factor in upgrades then, but undoubtedly it would have been put to use.
Score8 is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 3:47 pm
  #143  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,573
Originally Posted by no2chem
Not really sure what my rolling EQD level is, but as a data point on a Monday morning ORD-SFO ( super elite heavy) flight. Was told there were 3CKs and 18 EXPs (!) On the flight waiting for one upgrade. With about 12kEQD this year (so put me at ~18k rolling maybe? I was 11, so 8/18 EXPs supposedly...

Maybe I shouldn't have put all that domestic first spend on BA.
Waah, what a massacre...

This is a terrible route. I flew it once last year, only one seat open, I got it at the gate, after booking 11 months out, lol...Former glory...
nk15 is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 3:48 pm
  #144  
Marriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
Originally Posted by no2chem

But seeing several CKs on the upgrade list recently, seems to contradict... Maybe I need to figure out how to get one of these nominations .
How is one able to ascertain the elite status of those on the upgrade list?
controller1 is offline  
Old May 22, 2017, 4:44 pm
  #145  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP 1M
Posts: 299
Originally Posted by controller1
How is one able to ascertain the elite status of those on the upgrade list?
If you ask the agent, they may tell you. AC will usually tell you. They probably will not tell if you if you are not upper tier, like EXP.

Anecdotally, as an EXP I usually ask when I am way down the list, and have noticed many more CKs lately.
Psyclone*Jack is offline  
Old May 23, 2017, 1:53 am
  #146  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: AA EXP, UA, DL
Posts: 5
Duplicated post

(I was unaware of the moderator review requirement for after after hours posts)

Last edited by DBOS; May 23, 2017 at 1:35 pm
DBOS is offline  
Old May 23, 2017, 2:17 am
  #147  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: AA EXP, UA, DL
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by DBOS
First post, but I'm trying to understand the upgrade priority changes.

How do I know that AA is using the correct rolling EQDs? I just looked into my account and none of my 2016 flight lists my EQD numbers. Do you all see this glitch on the website? For what I know, my August-December 2016 EQDs (~$10K?) are not added right now. I dont even know if those values had been calculated at all. Either the sum is wrong or the system lacks transparency.

Originally Posted by deeruck
They're not displaying them in your account, so you just have to assume they're doing it correctly.
So I have to blindly trust the rolling EQDs tally? Last year I had to request missing EQMs not posted to my account after more that two months. It is plausible that they have screwed up my EQDs too.

How do I know what is my rolling EDQ?
DBOS is offline  
Old May 23, 2017, 7:40 am
  #148  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA Plat/2MM, DL Silver, UA Silver (via Marr), Marr LTT, HH Gold (via cc), Hyatt Disc
Posts: 1,036
Originally Posted by nk15
You can calculate your EQDs for Aug-Dec 2016, I just did mine. You can go to Your activity, under My account, select desirable activity date range. Then you divide your base miles (under award miles) by 5 for each trip, and these are your EQDs per trip.
Per earlier posts in this thread, above is the process to determine what AA should have as your 2016 EQDs.
bosman is offline  
Old May 23, 2017, 7:26 pm
  #149  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: El Segundo, CA
Programs: AA ExPlat, National Executive Elite, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by beachfan
Sorry for quoting my own thread, but the question got buried quick
I'm at ~$34k EQD's factoring in Aug 2016-Dec 2016 (with the method described above) and my 2017 EQD's showing in my account). I'm interested to see where I come out on the upgrade list on LAX-DFW on Friday (elite heavy route), I've listed for a BXP1 upgrade for the last month, and it hasn't cleared yet. The return on Monday is an award ticket, so it will be interesting to be able to possibly upgrade that ticket.

I've missed out on exactly 3 upgrades in the last year (though admittedly, I've bought a lot of J and F fares, so I haven't been on the upgrade list a substantial portion of the time). Each time I've missed, I was the next one on the upgrade list, and those that cleared at the gate (1 or 2 each time) were CK's. The CK's are still going to be above me, but I wonder if this will allow me to begin clearing earlier, before getting to the gate.
DrinkRaiderade is offline  
Old May 24, 2017, 5:56 am
  #150  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: New York / Shanghai / Taipei
Posts: 119
Not sure if it's appropriate to post here.
On LAX to JFK 6a today. I'm a low EQD exp due to qualifying on only three business trips last year. I'm number 10 currently on the list! Using comp upgrade!
nyczreklis is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.