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Originally Posted by ontheway (Post 34474167)

So I know I sound like an idiot but I've never been upgraded because of status.How do they let you know and do they change your ticket? Believe it or not, the few times I've been upgraded, it was years ago when we would volunteer our seats if they were oversold. They would always put us in first as a courtesy.

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The complimentary upgrades do not require reticketing. You’ll get an email if the upgrade clears. You’ll also see your seat assignment change in the mobile app if you use it. When you get that email go on the website or app immediately and check your seat assignments as the automatic process may not follow your seating preferences and there may still be other seats open in first.

As a Gold, your upgrade would happen around 24 hours before departure at the earliest.

As a GOLD you will not be upgraded until at the earliest 24 hours before flight. Typically AA sends a confirmed upgrade email but they're not 100%. You can always check your reservation. The system will auto assign you a seat but you can change it to any open seat.

At some point the list goes to the airport upgrade list and you can see that on the app usually 8-12 hours before flight. You will see where you stand. If you're way down at the bottom it's probably a lost cause.

how come nobody talking about MCE? i still consider that an upgrade whenever available. unlimited drinks.

FYI to OP:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...solidated.html

Maybe because thankfully, AA doesn't sell MCE as a separate cabin the way DL does. In any case PLT and above gets MCE for free, so not sure how you can really consider that an upgrade.

The real issue IMO is how little MCE seating there is on mainline. The new 737 layout has just one true row of MCE! How insane is that.

true. but OP is gold and has been away from the game awhile. which means we should give him FYI of all the nuances. golds can select MCE if available 24hrs out but not during booking without fee. chances are low since its usually taken, but i would rather be MCE vs not.

but u bring up a good point. OP should know MCE is absolutely NOT a separate cabin upgrade.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-business.html

I promise this will be my last question.....I don't know how to tell you this......but I'm 81 and lucky I can make and answer a call on these new phones.. I do know how to put it on airplane mode....so...I can't just ask at the desk?
And btw I'm female....I was a member here with a different name more than 25 years ago and got gold after reading this website daily...and learned so much during those years. All you people were my heroes and I cannot tell you how many free trips I've gotten on several airlines and accomplished so much travel. But not up to date so thanks for all the info.

Which desk? It should happen automatically, no need to ask anyone; and if it doesn't happen automatically there's not much you can do in terms of talking to human beings at the airport in order to get you upgraded outside of the automatic process.

That said, if you download the mobile app and you see that you're first on the upgrade list on your day of departure (or if you don't download the app but you see your name appearing first on the upgrade list on the screen at the gate) but your upgrade still hasn't cleared by the time you're at the gate, it's sometimes worthwhile to approach the agent at the gate and let them know that you're present and you're first on the upgrade list, and then wait to board until the end just in case someone in first class doesn't show up. The process switches from automatic to manual at that point, and the gate agent is supposed to upgrade you even if you've already boarded (and then they'll come onboard and get you, or tell a flight attendant to do so), but sometimes the gate agent is lazy/busy and doesn't want to deal with moving you from the seat you're already sitting in up into first class. It's easier for them to do it if you're there at the gate and all they have to do is print a new boarding pass and hand it to you.

Since making Gold, 50% upgrades to F and 110% to MCE aisle seat. I randomly got it on the award segment before I earned Gold. All status travel has been via PHX.

OP, when you get to the gate check the board to see if your name is on the upgrade list. AA lists names by your first initial and the first 3 letters of your last name. If there's already a bunch of names it's not worth adding your name. If there's no names on the upgrade list (granted a rarity) or one or two you can ask the gate agent to add your name to the list.

Up until recently you needed to apply your 500 mile upgrades to get upgraded as gold (with the exception of sub-500 mile flights). So it's expected that you would not get upgraded if you were not requesting them.

Now the upgrades are complimentary so you will just be added to the upgrade list automatically. You don't need to do anything. If you get upgraded you will either get an email or you will be given a new boarding pass at the gate.

wow. really? 50% gold upgrade to F from PHX? to where? good for you. i remember it was almost 0% for me between LAX / DFW / JFK w/ surrounding airports. but smaller airports and odd times had better chances for me. but MCE has been a huge help tho.

u can ask all the questions u want. this is FT. good to see females here. hope to see you around more. ur only 81. plenty time to travel.

Hmm, about 2 weeks ago, I got 5,000 by automatic conversion of unused 500 miles UG stickers. Nice surprise out of nowhere (I did see some sort of announcement about the stickers going away).

Can a EP flying on a cash booking link a non-status pax on an award ticket (separate PNR) for the same flight for upgrade? Not sure if the complimentary companion upgrade policy that recently went in effect has any bearing on this situation.

I think it's pretty clear cut when both are cash or both are award (UPG2/UPGA) but I'm concerned what happens when mixed...

Yes it's possible, just give AA a call to set it up.

If a gold purchases MCE and then gets upgraded, does the MCE fee get refunded?

Yes. It’s on .com along with the process— which is automatic.