Originally Posted by
nonesuch flyer
This has always been my understanding... however I had a long discussion on ranking of SWU upgrade requests with the senior agent at AA Premium Check-in at LHR T3 a few days back. He insisted that if two EXPs were trying to upgrade using SWUs there priority was based on total accumulated lifetime miles on AA, not on date of request. He looked up my record and noted I had 2.5 million and concluded that my SWU would clear for the one remaining F seat on the 777W LHR LAX leaving that day. It did.
Has AA changed its practice on ranking SWU upgrades?
No. The "senior agent at AA Premium Check-in at LHR T3" was following the time honoured tradition at AA of making some crAAp up and spewing it as if we're definitive if they do not know the actual rules.
Your SWU a learned over the others for the same reasons it has cleared previously.