neptuno3

Hi AA newbie question here --

I reached gold just in the nick of time last year (thanks to tips from this forum) and am flying next week as an AA elite member for the first time. (yay!)

Two questions:

1. Should I bother buying a few 500-mile upgrades? How often do golds actually get upgraded? (The flight is JFK-CUN and CUN-DFW.) I submitted the request electronically when I booked online, but am wondering what my chances are and if it's worth the gamble to buy them in advance now.

2. Is there anything I can do to up my chances of getting upgraded? Like I said, I submitted the request electronically when ticketing --

But other than checking again at the gate (in the event I'm denied earlier), is there something I can do / calls to make?

Thanks so much. I love this forum.

Brigitte

moldavian

It will be impossible to get an upgrade. When I was Gold my success rate was about 2%. However, you odds may be better flying to CUN rather than LAX or SFO. I wouldn't buy upgrades... but that's just my opinion.

ValiantFlyer

I wouldn't be so sure about not being able to get UG'ed to CUN. Leaving that aside, coming from other posts... your chances are best within your group based on check in time. So if you're the first one checked-in in GLD with an upgrade request, it's about as best you can do. Still all the EXP and PLT requesting them will be ahead of you, but the only thing you can do about that is become EXP or PLT. Best of luck

neptuno3

Does checking in electronically count? Meaning if I check in as soon as I'm allowed to do so online that would up my chances?

Or do you mean when I arrive at the airport?

Thanks -- and my apologies if these are mundane questions. ;-)

auditd0rk

Check in online as close to the 24-hour mark as you can. That check-in time will count.

VelvetKennedy

Try flying at off times or off days. Its easier to get an upgrade when its not Monday morning or Thursday evening, because on those flights, many business people with higher status are flying to and from work.

bdemaria

True of most flights. However, OP is flying to Cancun meaning that avoiding business crowds is not a primary concern.

dfwmusicman

I too am a newly minted Gold and actually was successfuly in getting my first elite upgrade on 12/29 DEN-DFW. I would buy a few upgrades to have in the bank. I think one of the key things you have to do is check in online right at 24 hours before. There are numerous threads with other great strategies too. Most of the experienced AA flyers on FT will tell you there's not much hope for Gold upgrades, but it never hurts to try!

flyinghome

I have not been gold in a long time but last time I flew to Cancun in April there were several empty first class seats. Vacation destinations seem to be easy to ger upgraded.

neptuno3

And purchased 500-mile upgrades never expire, correct?

tazi

Not true at all. Very much depends on route but I think I was about 75% when I was gold.

If you don't want to fork over the moeny right away for the stickers, wait and see if you go through at the 24 hour mark to buy them. You can also check loads at EF and get an idea of what your chances are.

tazi

You won't be able to checkin online for CUN.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

As far as future flights for the OP, as other posters have indicated traveling at off peak times will help with UPGs. I travel typically off peak and even as a prior GLD from 2002 through 2004 my UPGs usually cleared and I got a fair number of OP UPG (the best kind.

hm3

I agree. In 18 round trips BDL/POS over the last few years, I have only failed to upgrade on one segment of some 76 possible. On other routes it has been very rare no matter what tactic I pursued.

slpybear

I was a 10% success rate as a GLD... however, most of my flights involved travel to and from SFO, SJC, or OAK out of DFW. These routes get a lot of EXPs and PLTs and it is hard to get the upg.

Of course, 51K miles in '07 will hopefully translate to a lot more PLT UPGs in '08!