Complimentary Upgrades on American (AA)
Apr 2, 2021, 2:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: East Coast/West Coast, USA
Programs: AS, DL, UA, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 267
Complimentary Upgrades on American (AA)
With reciprocal upgrades starting up, here's a thread to post your successes (or not) with any upgrades on AA.
Date
Flight Number
Route (Please bold if failure)
Aircraft Type
Companion (If Any)
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Any other miscellaneous notes/observations
Date
Flight Number
Route (Please bold if failure)
Aircraft Type
Companion (If Any)
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Any other miscellaneous notes/observations
Last edited by HeyItsMK; Apr 29, 2021 at 5:46 pm
Apr 2, 2021, 2:42 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: East Coast/West Coast, USA
Programs: AS, DL, UA, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 267
3 April 2021
AA 2127
LGA-DCA
A319
Solo
Comp upgrade to F offered at checkin
It's a short flight, and am actually contemplating asking to get downgraded back to MCE to have an empty row to myself, but at least I know it works.
AA 2127
LGA-DCA
A319
Solo
Comp upgrade to F offered at checkin
It's a short flight, and am actually contemplating asking to get downgraded back to MCE to have an empty row to myself, but at least I know it works.
Last edited by HeyItsMK; Apr 2, 2021 at 2:48 pm
Apr 2, 2021, 2:43 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
With reciprocal upgrades starting up, here's a thread to post your successes (or not) with any upgrades on AA.
Date
Flight Number
Route (Please bold if failure)
Aircraft Type
Status (MVP, Gold or 75K)
Companion (If Any)
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Any other miscellaneous notes/observations
Date
Flight Number
Route (Please bold if failure)
Aircraft Type
Status (MVP, Gold or 75K)
Companion (If Any)
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Any other miscellaneous notes/observations
Apr 2, 2021, 2:45 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: East Coast/West Coast, USA
Programs: AS, DL, UA, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 267
Apr 2, 2021, 3:13 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
maybe it's just me, but I think bold for success would stand out more strongly
Last edited by jrl767; Apr 2, 2021 at 3:25 pm
Apr 2, 2021, 3:15 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: East Coast/West Coast, USA
Programs: AS, DL, UA, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 267
Apr 3, 2021, 9:43 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,391
Hi, I started the original thread aeons ago.
It’s bold for failure because generally speaking not upgrading is the one you’re looking out for. The idea is to get a sense of easy/difficult routes for upgrades.
It’s bold for failure because generally speaking not upgrading is the one you’re looking out for. The idea is to get a sense of easy/difficult routes for upgrades.
Last edited by dayone; Apr 3, 2021 at 9:51 am Reason: Bold for emphasis.
Apr 29, 2021, 7:29 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
Apr 30, 2021, 10:53 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
Programs: TINDER GOLD, STARBUCKS GOLD, COSTCO EXECUTIVE!!
Posts: 3,989
F is wide open for tonight. Y is oversold by 1.
LAX-BNA
321-NEO
Yet upgrade was NOT offered at check-in.
I've had an agent even un-check me out and then I checked back in, and still nothing.
Not a single agent (lounge agent, gate agent) is able to help, as well as the AA/AS help line. I am pretty pissed off, because these F seats are going to fly out empty.
And there is not a single person on the upgrade list.
LAX-BNA
321-NEO
Yet upgrade was NOT offered at check-in.
I've had an agent even un-check me out and then I checked back in, and still nothing.
Not a single agent (lounge agent, gate agent) is able to help, as well as the AA/AS help line. I am pretty pissed off, because these F seats are going to fly out empty.
And there is not a single person on the upgrade list.
May 1, 2021, 1:08 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
F is wide open for tonight. Y is oversold by 1.
LAX-BNA
321-NEO
Yet upgrade was NOT offered at check-in.
I've had an agent even un-check me out and then I checked back in, and still nothing.
Not a single agent (lounge agent, gate agent) is able to help, as well as the AA/AS help line. I am pretty pissed off, because these F seats are going to fly out empty.
And there is not a single person on the upgrade list.
LAX-BNA
321-NEO
Yet upgrade was NOT offered at check-in.
I've had an agent even un-check me out and then I checked back in, and still nothing.
Not a single agent (lounge agent, gate agent) is able to help, as well as the AA/AS help line. I am pretty pissed off, because these F seats are going to fly out empty.
And there is not a single person on the upgrade list.
May 1, 2021, 1:52 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
PHX-SJC is not less than 500 miles.
And, yes, AA would require a GLD or PLT elite to use two 500 mile upgrades (also referred to as "stickers") to upgrade the flight, so it's actually not a bad deal for AS elites when the system works.
May 1, 2021, 5:14 am
#13
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, AGR S+
Posts: 366
From the Elite Benefits on AA page from alaskaair.com (emphasis mine):
The LAXBNA flight mentioned above can be sold as an AS codeshare, which makes it an Alaska marketed flight (though I don't know if it's applicable in the OP's situation). The bulk of my AA travel is on connecting codeshares out of ORD which makes me believe that I likely won't ever see that upgrade option at check-in. I suspect my recent gate upgrade in ORD was solely because Y was oversold and they at least had some sort of priority for op ups and being OWE, I got the bump up.
These complimentary space-available upgrades are for MVP Gold 75K members and 1 companion booked in the same reservation on the day of departure, at or after check-in. Flights must be on American marketed and operated flights.
May 1, 2021, 6:01 am
#15
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, AGR S+
Posts: 366
I didn't claim otherwise. Simply pointing out a nuance of the benefit that folks may not be aware of. And if indeed your flight was booked as a codeshare, the multiple people at AA were under no obligation to upgrade you, per the published benefit. If your flight was marketed by AA then this is clearly a fail by AA.