PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING!

AAdvantage members on FT with no opportunity or plans to use expiring SWU) often gift them to other FlyerTalk members.

Please familiarize yourself with these ground rules. Posts that do not conform to these rules will be summarily deleted (without notice to the poster).

AA: "Upgrades are void if sold or advertised for sale for cash or other considerations. Members may designate another passenger to use their upgrades."

• Asking for SWU here is not permitted! Donors will post here, and members are welcome to communicate via PM from there. If you don't see an open request, don't ask for one.
• To comply with AAdvantage T&C, SWU must given freely, with no strings attached. Requests for money, trading for SWU with different expiry or another airline’s instruments, or any other consideration, whether in the clear or via PM, are not allowed.
• Out of respect of our generous donors, please follow their instructions and contact them with the information they request.
• Donors can ultimately make the choice of recipient (tenured/contributive member, longer flight itineraries, international vs. domestic, etc.).
• Recipients are solely and entirely responsible for the payment of any fees or taxes associated with the use of a gifted SWU (e.g. United Kingdom Air Passenger Duty or French taxe de solidarité sur les billets d'avion).
• This thread is NOT for the discussion of ethics, entitlement, or nomination of charities/groups as recipients. (Donating instruments for use in charity auctions or as prizes is prohibited by AAdvantage terms and conditions.)
• If anybody offers to sell, buy, barter or trade SWU by PM, please contact the moderators immediately, as this is a violation of AAdvantage and FlyerTalk rules. FT members have been sanctioned by AA in the past for these kinds of actions. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Thanks everyone!
~AAdvantage forum Moderator team


Using expiring SWU beyond their expiration date.
It has been reported as possible here that some may be able to use an SWU beyond it’s programmed expiration date:

Those few very high value flyers with high “Eagle” (Helix score) ratings may receive extensions for unused SWU, but that is not an option for most AAdvantage members. Requests to do so will be met with a firm “no” from AA.

The system will, however, pull the SWU with the earliest expiration date. At least it has recently, and no reports on this being “fixed” have been reported. There are certain conditions that must be met for this to occur:

The AAdvantage member must have requalified as Concierge Key or Executive Platinum for the 2020 status year, and have SWU expiring 31 Jan 2021 in their account.

The SWU “pull” by the system must be prior to the SWU expiration date, even if the flight is past it - e.g. sometimes a SWU will “pull” long before the formal upgrade window, or if you can confirm a flight occurring 1 Feb or later with an SWU upgrade prior to 31 January — the system is programmed to pull your SWU with the earliest expiration date.

You can’t call and request this, it occurs naturally because (at least recently) the system is programmed that way. An agent will merely tell you this can’t be done (potentially, unless you’ve got Eagles galore.

You can’t upgrade using miles and copay, then switch to a SWU.

NOTE: 2023 thread has been archived here.