Originally Posted by
GITU
My first AA flight coming up!
BOS - PDX via ORD. I'm newly minted EXP via a status match. How likely is it that I get an upgrade via 500-mile? I booked 2 weeks out. Is it automatically done at the 100 hour window, or is it manually done? I can't imagine the latter but the info from the help desk said "an analyst starts looking at it 100 hours out". Is that true???
Also, is food free in first? My economy ticket says "food for purchase". How is the food on AA domestic?
Is the AA lounge access worth it for $450 a year? Will a CC give you free lounge access?
I haven't yet received my EXP card- will that matter for my trip? Or since it's on the PNR, I'll be fine?
Anything else I should know about flying domestic via AA? Most of my travel is international but I'm going to visit family for a weekend.
Thanks!
A few things, in addition to what has been said:
I assume you know that even though the upgrade process is the same, you won't actually be charged any "500 mile stickers" to upgrade, since you are EXP.
I'll also assume you booked your flight
after the EXP status posted to your account. Otherwise, you'll need to have your status refreshed on your PNR or it might reflect your old status (the status you had when you booked the trip).
The upgrades are automatic, but they depend on X inventory, which is released by a Revenue Management analyst. Once an analyst determines to release such inventory, the upgrades will be processed automatically, until T-4, when the flight is in airport control. If it hasn't cleared by then, it will be cleared by the GA.
You don't need your EXP card. Your boarding pass will suffice.
Food and booze is free in domestic F. For "how is the food?", see this thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Is lounge access worth $450 a year? That's up to you. The AmEx Platinum and the Citi AAdvantage World Elite card both provide AC access (the latter provides a full AC membership), but both have a $450 annual fee, so I wouldn't exactly call it "free". If you fly mostly international, I'd say it's not worth it. Still up to you, of course.