Last edit by: Prospero
Buying Higher Class of Service Than Ticketed
"Effective December 19, 2012, AA will waive the ticket change charge if customer purchases into a higher cabin (business or first), regardless of booking inventory, on the same routing/same day*. For example, no changes to origin/destination except the change to cabin/flight time is allowed with no ticket change charge. Customer would be responsible for paying the difference in fares. The non-refundable portion of the ticket remains non-refundable and would be handled internally by Refunds when necessary."
- AA Revenue Tickets, Ticket Change
Unlike an upgrade, earnings in EQM etc. should be for the new fare.
*This includes co-terminals as allowed in the detailed fare rules or elsewhere.
"Effective December 19, 2012, AA will waive the ticket change charge if customer purchases into a higher cabin (business or first), regardless of booking inventory, on the same routing/same day*. For example, no changes to origin/destination except the change to cabin/flight time is allowed with no ticket change charge. Customer would be responsible for paying the difference in fares. The non-refundable portion of the ticket remains non-refundable and would be handled internally by Refunds when necessary."
- AA Revenue Tickets, Ticket Change
Unlike an upgrade, earnings in EQM etc. should be for the new fare.
*This includes co-terminals as allowed in the detailed fare rules or elsewhere.
Upgrading AA Fare Code or Class of Service - Upfare / Upfaring (master thd)
#197
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 18,338
#198
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,753
I second the recommendations to get a refund of the change fee ASAP while the record is still active and travel hasn't yet commenced.
It should be in reference file TICKET CHANGE (or something to that effect), however I don't believe that information for reservations agents is technically stored in Sabre stars anymore since AA as a whole has been transitioning to a web-based system.
It should be in reference file TICKET CHANGE (or something to that effect), however I don't believe that information for reservations agents is technically stored in Sabre stars anymore since AA as a whole has been transitioning to a web-based system.
#199
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Ahhh, that explains it, thanks! ^
#200
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA 1K, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 201
No Elite Mileage Bonus for upfare?
I fly for work and my company will only book economy. I will usually pay the difference to "upfare" to First. This is a fully paid upgrade not using stickers. I'm EP, but with my upgrade rate on the longer leg approaching zero as of the end of last year I have decided to just pay for it.
My itinerary is LAS - DFW- MFE round trip. In economy this would get 3110 elite miles. In First it would be 6220.
On my last trip I was initially booked in L class. I paid to upfare to "A" in First, and A class is listed on my receipt.
After completing the trip I was only granted 3110 elite miles. Upon writing to AA, they state that "elite miles are awarded only on basis of ORIGINAL cabin booked, and not on the upgraded fare".
Is this correct? If I've paid to get booked into "A" fare class, why can't I get 2.0 elite miles per mile flown as per the current chart?
My itinerary is LAS - DFW- MFE round trip. In economy this would get 3110 elite miles. In First it would be 6220.
On my last trip I was initially booked in L class. I paid to upfare to "A" in First, and A class is listed on my receipt.
After completing the trip I was only granted 3110 elite miles. Upon writing to AA, they state that "elite miles are awarded only on basis of ORIGINAL cabin booked, and not on the upgraded fare".
Is this correct? If I've paid to get booked into "A" fare class, why can't I get 2.0 elite miles per mile flown as per the current chart?
#201
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,573
I fly for work and my company will only book economy. I will usually pay the difference to "upfare" to First. This is a fully paid upgrade not using stickers. I'm EP, but with my upgrade rate on the longer leg approaching zero as of the end of last year I have decided to just pay for it.
My itinerary is LAS - DFW- MFE round trip. In economy this would get 3110 elite miles. In First it would be 6220.
On my last trip I was initially booked in L class. I paid to upfare to "A" in First, and A class is listed on my receipt.
After completing the trip I was only granted 3110 elite miles. Upon writing to AA, they state that "elite miles are awarded only on basis of ORIGINAL cabin booked, and not on the upgraded fare".
Is this correct? If I've paid to get booked into "A" fare class, why can't I get 2.0 elite miles per mile flown as per the current chart?
My itinerary is LAS - DFW- MFE round trip. In economy this would get 3110 elite miles. In First it would be 6220.
On my last trip I was initially booked in L class. I paid to upfare to "A" in First, and A class is listed on my receipt.
After completing the trip I was only granted 3110 elite miles. Upon writing to AA, they state that "elite miles are awarded only on basis of ORIGINAL cabin booked, and not on the upgraded fare".
Is this correct? If I've paid to get booked into "A" fare class, why can't I get 2.0 elite miles per mile flown as per the current chart?
#202
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CUR
Posts: 2,170
The AAgent is wrong (unless they changed this very recently.)
#203
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,671
Upgrading AA Fare Code or Class of Service - Upfare / Upfaring (master thd)
miles are typically awarded for the class of service. The OP should contact CS for the additional miles. This will probably get merged by the mods.
#205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
With 26 letters of the English alphabet (and 24 in the Greek alphabet
) airlines, AA included
, should not have to use same letter code for two different purposes.
![Stick Out Tongue](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/tongue.gif)
![Stick Out Tongue](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/tongue.gif)
![Confused](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif)
#206
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,563
In general they seem to be able to handle the difference between fare and class without issue. They didn't manage it here.
#207
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: AA EXP, SPG GLD, Starbucks (SBUX) Super Duper Executive Gold Global Priority Platinum Prestige
Posts: 70
For all the times I've upfared, AA has credited me economy miles when booked into 'A' but first class miles when booked into 'I'. Does anyone know why this might be the case?
#208
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,516
The same thing happened to me last year. When I wrote in using the CR website, I made it very clear that it was not an upgrade, but an upfare. They rectified the problem about a week after I sent in the notice without any further contact.
I would try again and make it clear that it was upfare and not upgrade.
I would try again and make it clear that it was upfare and not upgrade.
#209
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 4,011
#210
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 318
I recently discovered a first class fare that was ~$100 less than the amount I paid for a coach fare. I called AA and asked to purchase the first fare. The phone agent (after realizing I didn't want to upgrade with miles) said "OK, I see why you're doing this. Let me process a voucher for the difference." After being on hold for a bit, he came back and said that since the fare was less in first, he had to charge the change fee even though I was changing cabins.
My question: has anyone heard of this before? Should I have HUCA-ed, or is this an actual rule? Too late for this trip in my case, but it would be good to know for the future.
My question: has anyone heard of this before? Should I have HUCA-ed, or is this an actual rule? Too late for this trip in my case, but it would be good to know for the future.
Has anyone else had experience with this? Are you no longer allowed to change flight times when upfaring, or is it because the fare was less than what I paid for Coach?