Originally Posted by
beckoa
If both were exp, then this might work. However, with one MVP, this might clear at T-48 hours assuming there is still space in F. Are you currently waitlisted? Can check alaskaair.com/status/0000/YYYY-MM-DD if close enough to departure to have an idea where you are on the WL (subject to change of course)
Thank you for the website suggestion. We went ahead and upgraded with AS points for the outbound flight, so we are all set there. We are too far out to see the upgrade list for the outbound or the return. I will keep an eye out for U fares on the return and see what happens. I’m going to give them a ring back to try to confirm if the reciprocal benefits are in effect as I’m guessing it is more about that than the companion fare (based on some replies in the AA forum). I was guessing they aren’t in effect, but since we were able to select Premium Class seats after booking it made me think they might be (since MVP should not be able to do that with a companion).
Originally Posted by
ashill
An AS companion fare makes absolutely no difference on the upgrade status (or mileage earned) for the passengers. The only difference is that the companion's ticket cannot be separated into a separate PNR (which may be necessary to be upgraded in your situation, if you're being upgraded on the basis of your AA status and she's being upgraded on the basis of her AS status – I do not know). The primary traveler can travel without the companion, but then the $99 fare paid for the companion is forfeit. So I'm 98% sure that the fact that you are traveling on a companion ticket makes no difference; the situation would be the same if you had two normal fare tickets on the same PNR (except that in that situation you might split the record to each get upgraded on your own merits).
I don't know what the upgrade situation is for an AS MVP and an AA PPro on one reservation on AS, but I think that, not the companion fare, is the relevant question.
Originally Posted by
ashill
Given that aa.com explicitly says no companion upgrades for AA elites on AS (yet), I’d put my money on that being the issue and the companion fare note being a human mistake.
Companion fare passengers are treated as full fare passengers in all ways and always have been except that they just fly with the primary ticket holder. This includes frequent flyer earning, both on AS and partners, and benefits for AS elites. Now it’s always possible they’ll change the rules, but given that there’s nothing written indicating that they have changed those long-standing rules and there are other written reasons these upgrades aren’t processing, I think the Occam’s razor explanation is that companion fares are treated like any other companion, as they always have been. (The companion fare is a great benefit, easily worth the annual fee for an Alaska credit card for anyone who flies Alaska at least once a year with a companion even if you don’t otherwise use the card or credit anything to your Mileage Plan account, FWIW.)
I will keep an eye out for U fares on the return and see what happens. I’m going to give them a ring back to try to confirm if the reciprocal benefits are in effect as I agree with you that it is more likely about that than the companion fare. I was guessing the reciprocal benefits aren’t in effect, but since we were able to select Premium Class seats after booking it made me think they might be (since MVP should not be able to do that with a companion).