mingw

is EXP desk the right number to call? counting today I've called three times. I hope that the airport system indeed is updated once a week and my future trips would be good then.

thanks. will do. certainly I would rather be EXP than an early timestamp as PLT!

FWAAA

Anyone can call 800-843-6200 and then be routed to the correct "desk" to match the status AA thinks you hold at that moment (if you aren't EXP, then you get routed to general reservations). When you called on Thursday, did the agent answer "Executive Desk"? Same question Saturday and today. Did aa.com show your status as EXP on Thursday, Saturday and/or today?

sukn

OP, check your AAdvantage account and confirm if indeed stickers were deducted from your account. If they were, then it was obviously a PLT upgrade.

If not, then indeed it was an EXP upgrade and the GA at DFW lied to you when he/she said you were listed as a PLT.

As to why you dropped to #3 on the list, that is not particularly unusual. F passengers who have mis-connected could simply trump you because they would be listed as DSRs on th upgrade list.

vasantn

I don't profess to be truly knowledgeable about this subject other than being conversant with what has been posted here over the last 10 years. AFAIK, it is entirely possible that the subsystem that deducts stickers views the OP as EXP, while the subsystem that prioritizes upgrades views the OP as PLT.

However, I'm a bit confused by the OP's statement in the OP that "upgrade is only at T-4 but email says I'm EXP so no sticker is deducted". IME, the standard language is "The appropriate number of 500-mile upgrades will be deducted from your Electronic Upgrade bank for each segment upgraded at departure time" regardless of one's status. Indeed, status is not even noted on the standard upgrade notification email.

sukn

I too am confused by the OP, and that's why I suggested the AAdvantage account be checked.

As to your first point, I had not thought of that, and certainly wouldn't put it past AA's antiquated system.

BrewerSEA

DSRs appear on the PALL list but not the electronic upgrade board.

mingw

I miss read the email as I didn't have much time and I saw "executive members and Y/B blah blah therefore no upgrades will be taken from your account".

mingw

it's interesting that when I printed my BP at home (T-7), there's "EXP" after my aadvantage account number, but then below it has the big "PLATINUM/PriorityAAcess/SAPPHIRE".

since my first leg was upgraded, I got a new BP at the gate and water mark showed "EXECUTIVE PLATINUM" and EMERALD printed below seat.

my account doesn't have stickers deducted for the first leg.

I understand under certain conditions people can trump EXP, but why would the GA to me...

pauleeepaul

OP- you got snagged in a condition that only happens at time of initial qualification. Get your PNRs updated as advised above, and relax. The EXP upgrade process is generally seamless- not guaranteed success- but not usually requiring any intervention.

sendbillmoney

I called AA while between segments as soon as I went over the 10000 EQP mark, and was initially told it would "take a couple of weeks" for the new status to up updated. I asked if it sounded right for me to have paid the money and jumped through the required hoops and still need to wait a couple of weeks. Damned if he didn't update my PNRs, including the one for the segment I was waiting for. It took a few minutes for the change to propagate to the system accessible to the GA at MIA, but she was able to reprint my BP with platinumy goodness.

If they're willing to do that for a plat challenge, one would hope they'd be willing to do it for a new EXP.

vasantn

That is seriously bizarre, and lends credence to my hypothesis about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

sukn

It would be interesting to hear from folks who fly during the first few days of March after losing or having their status downgraded.

sts603

(1) SWU/Mileage+co-pay upgrades do show up on the gate monitor once the person has checked in and been added to the list. They are looking for A/C inventory rather than X/R inventory. In advance, A/C will potentially be available before the T-100 window. And during the T-100 to T-3 time frame, A/C almost always will open before X/R. There are exceptions and its not something an A/C upgrader is technically entitled to.

(2) At the gate X/R/A/C upgrades are prioritized as if they were all the same. A originating PLAT who requested 60 days out will be ahead of a PLAT requesting a SWU upgrade who requested 10 days out. There is a completely legal workaround, however. Here's the scenario: was waiting on JFK-SFO as an EXP. #2 on the list for 0 seats. I switch my request to a VIP. This is when I found out about (1) above - it didn't change my priority. Supervisors were called, etc. and we verified that the above is in fact the case once its at airport control. So I go sit down in the AC and keep hitting refresh. Flight switches to F1 A1, I call the EXP desk (as I had harrassed the AC agents enough), they clear me into the A seat and I ask the AAgents just to print me my new boarding pass.

(3) EXPs can be bumped down the gate list as more EXPs check in (you are not added to the list at the gate until you check in) and such EXPs are thru-EXPs and/or Y-fare EXPs.

(4) IRROPs do not play into upgrade requests, just standby.

BrewerSEA

What makes you say that? Per AA.com and my EXP benefits guide:

sts603

Interesting. You are absolutely right about that. I believe I have seen otherwise in practice. Let me go check some priority lists and see if I can find a B fare.