schreibsman

BA.com showed seats available for my flights, so started the process.

First needed to buy 17k miles from AA (35% bonus promo on right now) for ~$400 USD all in. Was bummed to find out that couldn't use Avios to upgrade the BA flights since it wasn't a 125 plated ticket.

Called AA to process the upgrade...

Agent 1: No space available, and we can't waitlist for BA flights. HUCA.

Agent 2: Can't upgrade a codeshare flight, plus I was on an agency booking (nope, booked direct with AA). Read to her AA.com which says codeshares are eligible. Didn't believe me, told me I would have to book as BA prime flights and repriced it to ~$5k each. Pushed her again, she checked her reference materials. Came back to say, no, website is wrong and would have to be re-ticketed on BA prime flights. HUCA.

Agent 3: Spent almost 20 min on hold after explaining the initial request, and finally she came back to say that she called the help desk to figure out how to do it, but there was no space available. HUCA.

Agent 4: Extremely pleasant agent who said she'd done this part-way before, but never when there was actually space available! Unfortunately took about 50 minutes of being on hold, and after talking with someone in tariff, determined the fares were restricted and therefore ineligible for upgrade. I checked my AA booking while on the phone and they had been rebooked into business on prime flight numbers, but never fully processed I guess. Will have to try again tomorrow...I have faith!

sxc234

i am hoping it's just a delay for the them to finalize my upgrade but points haven't been deducted from my account and my reservation still says "on request" but AA codeshare flight changed to BA and cabin says "Business" I guess i'll have to wait.

whimike

I guess I just got lucky. Got my upgrade processed in 15 minutes by the first agent I called. They forgot to upgrade the LHR-MAD (BA metal) segment so I called back. Agent initially said only the single long-haul was upgradable, but I pointed her to the website where it says 3 segments can be upgraded per 12,500 miles and 15 minutes later that was upgraded too.

nk15

This is quite frustrating, 4 agents so far and more than 1 hour on the phone and nothing. And I can see the upgrades available on EF and BA.com.

brewdog11

Welcome to the New American... incompetence abound.

nk15

Yes, they are all over the place on this one.

mykel67

Keep calling back until you get "Beverly" on the line--she's the agent who was able to get it done for me.

sxc234

were miles deducted from your account immediately and new tickets re-issued after the successful upgrade? Been a couple of weeks and miles haven't been deduced and the status of my ticket is "On Request" still but checking AA and BA i am in Business/Club World.

brewdog11

It's AMAZING how well this works when you get a competent agent who is willing to do his/her due diligence. The gentleman on the EXP line, John, who assisted me (third call) immediately understood what I was asking, checked for availability, and cleared both the Europe-LHR and the LHR-YYZ segments. Call took less than 10 minutes, and most of it was spent waiting on the rate desk.

The first person I spoke to was legitimately clueless, and the second person seemed like they just didn't want to bother with it by saying that the upgrades work for BA-ticketed flights only (something that makes no sense to begin with and that the website clearly says isn't true).

I called at 09:00 and my ticket was re-issued by 12:05. I'd call them back and see what's going on.

SensFan

My ticket was re-issued within an hour of my call. The e-mail about the points being deducted was the next day. I would take Brewdog's advice and give them a call to see what is up.

nk15

deleted

nk15

When someone flies one of these, with upgrades or not, please keep us posted.

sxc234

My saga continues, initially thought i had my upgrade completed but it was on request for a month without miles deducted. Called in today and they said at time of upgrade they didn't collect the copay of over $1k a person thats why it was never ticketed. They reverted my upgrade request so i see economy again instead of business.

I called in again and spoke to another agent, was able to do the upgrade again without copay and this time was also able to upgrade the short haul Iberia flights (which they originally told me I couldn't). Will wait and see again if I get the tickets reissued. These upgrades are super YMMV, never has the HUCA been so apparent.

cedejah

Have you managed to get anywhere with the upgrade yet?

I tried to upgrade yesterday and the rate desk were saying that my ticket is not upgradeable because it is a discounted economy ticket. Apparently they put a note on my reservation to say that so when I used the HUCA method the second agent asked if I had spoken to someone because there was a note saying that the ticket is not upgradeable. Any suggestions?

sxc234

Yes seems like I am confirmed for my upgrade now, only took about 4 calls with different agents. Can't speak to the note in your reservation but the fare is booked in W / Premium Economy / World Traveller Plus and not discount economy. I believe any intra europe flights are coded as Y.