Upgrade eligibility if booking with American award?
Dec 3, 2018, 1:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, AA Gold
Posts: 25
Upgrade eligibility if booking with American award?
Hi. I am an MVP on Alaska and Gold on American. I understand that alaska upgrades on award tickets booked with alaska miles, but American does not. There is an alaska flight I want to book and saw that i could book with miles on the american airlines website. My question is: would i be eligible for an upgrade as MVP on Alaska?
thanks in advance.
c
thanks in advance.
c
Last edited by chewable; Dec 7, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Dec 4, 2018, 9:21 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
Why do you say this? I believe OP is talking about elite complimentary upgrades, which do apply to award tickets. The interesting question is whether they apply to award tickets booked with AA miles. I just reported my "yes" experience here.
I'm glad you got lucky and yes, exceptions have been made in the past. Is it something one should expect? Nope.
Dec 4, 2018, 12:06 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
What's the obstacle supposed to be -- is it against policy to put a MP# on an AAdvantage booking, or to get on the upgrade list after this is done?
Getting on the upgrade list seemed so automatic in my case as to be at least de facto policy. And the AS page on complimentary upgrades doesn't seem to exclude AAdvantage bookings. It says
your qualifying Mileage Plan number must be in the reservation, and flight miles must be credited to Mileage Plan
For what it's worth, such AAdvantage award flights in W are AS marketed and operated and the only difference is the ticket stock. So it seems logical that no distinction is made by AS, at least in practice.
Dec 4, 2018, 12:18 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: Alaska 100k
Posts: 1,012
There are lots of reports of MVP/G/75K members being able to add themselves to the upgrade list and getting the upgrade when booking AS flights with Avios, AAdvantage miles, and other partners' currencies.
EDIT: There's also no requirement that an AS flight be booked on 027 ticket stock to be upgrade eligible. It just needs to be marketed and operated by AS. The same goes for revenue flights.
If flying SEA-SFO-HND on AS+JL, you can get an upgrade as an AS Elite on the SEA-SFO flight if that flight carries an AS flight number (and sometimes even if it doesn't).
Dec 4, 2018, 12:37 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
Oh good grief. Call Mileage Plan and confirm for yourself. I'll wait right here.
I know what the policy is for AA awards on AS flights (which cannot be issued on 027 ticket stock, but that's irrelevant), they've confirmed it, and you can do the same.
As already noted, there are exceptions to every rule, yes it's happened before, there's another thread on it, but we're talking about AS official policy. It's that simple.
I've never redeemed a JL award, so can't speak to that. You can ask MP for confirmation of that policy when you call to confirm the AA one.
I know what the policy is for AA awards on AS flights (which cannot be issued on 027 ticket stock, but that's irrelevant), they've confirmed it, and you can do the same.
As already noted, there are exceptions to every rule, yes it's happened before, there's another thread on it, but we're talking about AS official policy. It's that simple.
I've never redeemed a JL award, so can't speak to that. You can ask MP for confirmation of that policy when you call to confirm the AA one.
Dec 4, 2018, 10:09 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 219
I can confirm an exception being made as well back in the Delta days. It's often up to the gate agent. But I'm pretty certain that if it's an AS flight number, regardless of ticket stock, you can put in your AS number and get upgraded.
Dec 5, 2018, 11:14 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Dec 5, 2018, 8:57 pm
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
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Location: FAI
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Dec 6, 2018, 1:57 pm
#12
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Oh good grief. Call Mileage Plan and confirm for yourself. I'll wait right here.
I know what the policy is for AA awards on AS flights (which cannot be issued on 027 ticket stock, but that's irrelevant), they've confirmed it, and you can do the same.
As already noted, there are exceptions to every rule, yes it's happened before, there's another thread on it, but we're talking about AS official policy. It's that simple.
I've never redeemed a JL award, so can't speak to that. You can ask MP for confirmation of that policy when you call to confirm the AA one.
I know what the policy is for AA awards on AS flights (which cannot be issued on 027 ticket stock, but that's irrelevant), they've confirmed it, and you can do the same.
As already noted, there are exceptions to every rule, yes it's happened before, there's another thread on it, but we're talking about AS official policy. It's that simple.
I've never redeemed a JL award, so can't speak to that. You can ask MP for confirmation of that policy when you call to confirm the AA one.
But yes, OP is not officially eligible for upgrades, regardless of the fact that practically there's a good chance an MVP on non-027 ticket stock will get an upgrade anyway if U space is available once it's their turn in the queue.
https://i.imgur.com/PDKEHHP.jpg
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Dec 6, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Dec 6, 2018, 5:22 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Salem, OR
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold75k, WN A-List, AA, FI, DY, UA, Marriott Lifetime Silver, Hilton Diamond, Amtrak
Posts: 129
I can't remember if I've gotten upgraded on an AA award ticket when flying AS, but certainly I've gotten elite benefits. I was on AA flying into PHX (and on an AA Award) and transferring to AS onwards to PDX. When I got to the Alaska gate, I had them put my AS number onto the ticket. I then realized I needed to re-check into the flight, which then moved me up to Group A boarding or whatever they call it now (as I was originally way down the list on my AA ticket). I also got elite benefits on the flight - free alcoholic beverage and chocolate bar. I probably should have done all of this way in advance in the hopes of an upgrade.
Dec 6, 2018, 9:21 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
I can confirm I've gotten upgrades on BA and AA awards on AS metal. YMMV I guess. I don't think AS has particular upgrade processor logic that goes "please exclude all non-027 tickets in W class from upgrades even if the customer has an AS MP number attached that indicates they can have an upgrade", considering that the upgrade processor works better in theory than in reality anyways- you can still snipe U at particular times after checkin, sometimes people get skipped, etc.
But yes, OP is not officially eligible for upgrades, regardless of the fact that practically there's a good chance an MVP on non-027 ticket stock will get an upgrade anyway if U space is available once it's their turn in the queue.
https://i.imgur.com/PDKEHHP.jpg
But yes, OP is not officially eligible for upgrades, regardless of the fact that practically there's a good chance an MVP on non-027 ticket stock will get an upgrade anyway if U space is available once it's their turn in the queue.
https://i.imgur.com/PDKEHHP.jpg
2. As my co-worker (non-elite) did on a flight with me last week for $29 at check-in, leaving many on the list.