Nov 25, 2016, 10:22 pm
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)
Oct 20, 2017, 6:55 pm
#256
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ATL/DFW
Programs: Delta PM, SPG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, AVIS Preferred Plus
Posts: 388
Paid upgrade for non elite member?
I don't have any status in AA. Just starting. My question is: Can I buy a Main cabin fare ticket and later upgrade to a First class? Should I call or can i upgrade via the website? The reason is my company pays only for Main cabin. So i will buy a main cabin ticket, get a receipt that I will submit to my company and later upgrade (Pay from my personal fund)
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
Thanks
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
Thanks
Oct 20, 2017, 7:39 pm
#257
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
I don't have any status in AA. Just starting. My question is: Can I buy a Main cabin fare ticket and later upgrade to a First class? Should I call or can i upgrade via the website? The reason is my company pays only for Main cabin. So i will buy a main cabin ticket, get a receipt that I will submit to my company and later upgrade (Pay from my personal fund)
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
Thanks
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
Thanks
Oct 20, 2017, 8:42 pm
#258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
As mentioned, you can always call and pay to upgrade your ticketed main cabin fare. Your company would have paid the base fare and you can pay the difference plus any fees with your own payment method.
When you reach gold status, you can upgrade domestic flights for "free" with e-certificates (old schoolers here call them stickers because that's what AA used to send in the mail). That's a simplistic explanation...there are tons of threads on status based upgrades once you reach that point.
if you happen to have any points in your AA account you can also use those to upgrade a coach fare(based on availability). The number of points and copay(if any) depends on your coach fare.
When you reach gold status, you can upgrade domestic flights for "free" with e-certificates (old schoolers here call them stickers because that's what AA used to send in the mail). That's a simplistic explanation...there are tons of threads on status based upgrades once you reach that point.
if you happen to have any points in your AA account you can also use those to upgrade a coach fare(based on availability). The number of points and copay(if any) depends on your coach fare.
Oct 20, 2017, 9:34 pm
#260
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,403
As mentioned, you can always call and pay to upgrade your ticketed main cabin fare. Your company would have paid the base fare and you can pay the difference plus any fees with your own payment method.
When you reach gold status, you can upgrade domestic flights for "free" with e-certificates (old schoolers here call them stickers because that's what AA used to send in the mail). That's a simplistic explanation...there are tons of threads on status based upgrades once you reach that point.
if you happen to have any points in your AA account you can also use those to upgrade a coach fare(based on availability). The number of points and copay(if any) depends on your coach fare.
When you reach gold status, you can upgrade domestic flights for "free" with e-certificates (old schoolers here call them stickers because that's what AA used to send in the mail). That's a simplistic explanation...there are tons of threads on status based upgrades once you reach that point.
if you happen to have any points in your AA account you can also use those to upgrade a coach fare(based on availability). The number of points and copay(if any) depends on your coach fare.
Oct 20, 2017, 9:45 pm
#261
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ATL/DFW
Programs: Delta PM, SPG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, AVIS Preferred Plus
Posts: 388
I buy the ticket directly in AA site, No corporate travel agent is involved
Does it matter if the corporate travel contract gives a discount (must you implicitly first buy up to the regular fare for your fare class and then pay the difference between the regular fare and a FC fare or upgrade?) or uses a corporate travel agent (fee for AA to take over the ticket?) that might have purchased a bulk or consolidator fare (poddible to upgrade these?)
Oct 23, 2017, 6:57 pm
#263
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
Do you mean there's no change fee to upfare any "coach" fare, or are you saying only a true "Y"/unrestricted coach fare will not incur a fee to pay for a higher class of service?
Oct 23, 2017, 7:37 pm
#264
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
Almost any coach fare. I've never attempted to upfare Basic Economy, but I believe that's the exception. Any other fare should work.
Oct 23, 2017, 7:43 pm
#265
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,403
I would expect the change fee to be charged if you simply upfare a ticket, for example from discounted coach to FULL Y, but not if you upfare to a higher cabin, such as coach to business class or business to first.
Oct 24, 2017, 6:49 am
#266
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
I don't have any status in AA. Just starting. My question is: Can I buy a Main cabin fare ticket and later upgrade to a First class? Should I call or can i upgrade via the website? The reason is my company pays only for Main cabin. So i will buy a main cabin ticket, get a receipt that I will submit to my company and later upgrade (Pay from my personal fund)
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
If this is possible, i would not pay for a seat when I initially buy the main cabin ticket.
~Moderator
Nov 1, 2017, 7:58 pm
#267
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
Buying up to F, change fees?
I am thinking of buying up all my remaining domestic flights to First for the remainder of 2017 so I can meet my EQDs needed to keep Platinum.
Will they waive the change fees to do this since I am buying up to First Class?
Will they waive the change fees to do this since I am buying up to First Class?
Nov 1, 2017, 10:07 pm
#269
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,416
Indeed it is. 
MSP_Monopoly - take a look at this thread as well, if you'd like to see what others have done: Upgrading AA Fare Code or Class of Service - Upfare / Upfaring (master thd)
MSP_Monopoly - take a look at this thread as well, if you'd like to see what others have done: Upgrading AA Fare Code or Class of Service - Upfare / Upfaring (master thd)
Nov 2, 2017, 4:11 pm
#270
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: 17,482
If you're willing to buy up to First, why do you care about status?
Will they waive the change fees to do this since I am buying up to First Class?
The magic words on this thread are not always immediately magic.
Last edited by Herb687; Nov 2, 2017 at 4:12 pm Reason: syntax