Welcome to the American Airlines Forum! If your question is not answered in this FAQ, please try the following key resources prior to posting your question in the forum:
- Newcomers: Please Read First! – Important tips for new members! You can also ask any and all questions in the AA Forum Newbie Lounge!
- AA Forum Help Desks – Can’t figure it out yourself? Try these concierge services provided by members of the AA Forum for questions about Lounge Access Rules, Elite Status Challenges, AA Miles and Points, and Award Travel.
- FlyerGuide AA Wiki – Central resource with detailed information about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program, created and maintained by members of the AA Forum, including a Glossary of frequent abbreviations and acronyms used here.
- AA Forum Unofficial User’s Guide Thread List – An archival, but still useful list of important threads in the AA Forum.
- Search the AA Forum – Your question has probably been asked before, so try searching for a previous thread on the topic! Note that although we have some very long threads, general info and resources are often provided in the first post and you can also use the Search this Thread function to refine your search further. See also this tutorial on FlyerTalk Search. Alternatively, you can also search FlyerTalk using Google .
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Please do NOT post your individual questions here. This thread is reserved for discussing the content of the FAQ itself. If you have suggestions or corrections specifically pertaining to this FAQ, please feel free to post them directly to this thread. If you have a question that is not answered directly by one of the FAQ entries, please find and post to the appropriate thread. Thanks for your cooperation.
Thread navigation glitches: For technical reasons due to the growth of this FAQ, certain links below may lead you incorrectly to the very top of a page (above the first post on that page) – in this case, please check the
bottom of the preceding page for the correct entry. In addition, posts in this thread may not appear in the order shown below.
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Elite Status
• What are the AAdvantages of AA elite status?
• How can I qualify for AA elite status?
• Does AA offer status matches or Challenges?
• Does AA offer lifetime or million miler status?
• Can I purchase elite status?
• Can I qualify for elite status without flying?
• I will just miss requalifying, will AA make any exceptions or can I buy back status?
• What is ConciergeKey?
• What is AAirpass?
• What is Business ExtrAA?
Reservations
• Does anyone have a discount or promotion code?
• Will I still earn AA miles if I use a discount or promotion code?
• How do I get through to AA on the phone?
• How long can I hold a reservation at a guaranteed price?
• What can I do if my held reservation reprices at purchase?
• Can I get a refund for a fare that has repriced to a lower amount?
• Will I have to pay any fees to make, change, or upgrade my reservation?
• What is the Boarding and Flexibility Package?
• What are Preferred seats?
• Why is my seat Unassigned?
• Why was my seat assignment changed?
• How are seats assigned when I am upgraded?
• How do I book an upgradeable fare?
• How do I book a specific fare class for a Challenge?
• How do I change or cancel my reservation?
• How do I apply the credit from a canceled non-refundable ticket to a new ticket?
Award Travel
• How do I book award travel using my AAdvantage miles?
• Will I still earn AA miles on award travel?
• What awards can I book using ‘old miles’ earned prior to July 1, 1989?
• Should I use my miles for an award?
• Can I upgrade an Award ticket?
Upgrades
• How can I upgrade on AA? Can I upgrade on its partners?
• How do I book an upgradeable fare?
• Can I upgrade an Award ticket?
• What are the chances that my upgrade will clear?
• How does the upgrade waitlist work?
• How are seats assigned when I am upgraded?
• How many 500-mile electronic upgrades / stickers do I need and when must I have them?
• How do I earn 500-mile electronic upgrades / stickers?
• How quickly do 500-mile electronic upgrades / stickers post to my account?
• How quickly do systemwide / eVIP upgrades post to my account?
• What can I do with 500-mile electronic upgrades / stickers I cannot use?
• Will I get F/J mileage credit for my upgraded flight?
Check-In and Baggage
• How and when can I check in for my flight?
• How do mobile boarding passes work and can I use one at my airport?
• Why can't I reprint my boarding pass?
• Will I have to pay checked baggage fees?
• What should I do if my checked baggage is delayed, lost, or damaged?
• How much carry-on baggage can I bring aboard?
• What is Priority AAccess?
• Is there an elite security line at my airport?
Lounges and Boarding
• Will I have lounge access on my itinerary?
• Is it worth it to purchase Admirals Club membership or a daypass?
• Where can I find more information about a specific lounge?
• What is AA's boarding procedure?
• How do mobile boarding passes work and can I use one at my airport?
• What is the Boarding and Flexibility Package?
Seats and Amenities
• What are the best seats on my flight?
• What are Preferred Seats?
• Why is my seat Unassigned?
• Why was my seat assignment changed?
• How can I change my seat assignment after online checkin?
• Will my seat have a powerport and what kind of plug do I need?
• Will my flight have Next Generation Business Class?
• Will my flight have onboard wi-fi?
• Will there be food and beverages available on my flight?
• How do I request compensation for a problem or compliment an AA employee?
Connections and Standby
• Will I make my connection?
• Can I standby for a different flight?
• What are the chances that my flight will be overbooked or oversold?
AAdvantage Account Maintenance
• Are there any AAdvantage enrollment bonuses available?
• How are miles and points calculated?
• How long does it take for miles and points to post to my account?
• I was rerouted, can I still get my AA miles?
• Why is my AAdvantage account showing all zeroes?
• How do I keep my miles from expiring?
• My miles expired, can I get them reinstated?
• Where can I get my complete AA account history?
• How much is an AAdvantage mile worth?
• How can I get AA.com to remember my AAdvantage number and password?