We'll see if tomorrow morning I have cleared into this empty cabin at t+24 check in time...

EWR-ORD cleared at t+26.5, the ORD-MSY hasn't cleared yet.

Odd, CLT-LGA return cleared 100h out but ORD-MSY and MSY-CLT still haven't what is ops doing regarding flights in and out of NOLA. Holding space on WIDE OPEN F cabins.

ORD-MSY cleared around 26h out.

With all due respect, this thread is about the policies, procedures, and processes surrounding AA's domestic UDU/500-mi upgrades. It is not the thread to continuously post whether you receive an upgrade or not on each and every flight.

For 500 mile "stickers", I thought those remained in your account unless the upgrade was actually confirmed? I have a pending upgrade request in and it pulled the stickers already. Maybe it's done that in the past as well, but I don't ever recall it working this way.

Do you earn stickers upon earning gold status ?
or do the EQM only start counting once you acheive status ?

Flying 25K EQM for Gold should earn 8 stickers ? Is this not correct ?

You start earning stickers once you achieve status. Eight stickers upon earning status would be a nice gesture but this is AA.

Is it common for leisure routes to have unsold FC seats held from being given to EXP flyers in the hopes of selling upgrades or paid tickets up until the last minute.

I'm flying with my husband on the LAX-SJD nonstop tomorrow, with four open seats. I'm EXP, he's Plat Pro.

Our return leg from PHX to SEA has already cleared for next Wednesday, but both the LAX-SJD, and SJD-PHX both show open seats, but both haven't cleared. I've never seen that before.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, depending on the flight’s historical or predicted sales demand. And depending on what tool you’re using to look, empty seats do not mean unsold seats - only that the seats are unassigned. For example, a flight might show four unassigned seats, yet ExpertFlyer might show J2, D2, I0 - meaning only two seats are actually for sale. Or even, at least in theory, J0 could show.

I am 99% sure they stay in your account until you actually fly. They certainly should not be pulled when you only have an unconfirmed request.

What happens if you do not have enough stickers for the upgrade ? I need 4 only have 3 do not want to buy 4 more then not get the upgrade.

No you do not earn stickers upon achieving GLD status. You would need to then fly an additional 12.5K miles to receive the first batch of 4 stickers and then 12.5K miles for the next batch and so on. You would never earn 8 stickers at one time. You could, however, purchase stickers upon achieving GLD status.

You can request an upgrade without having the required stickers. If your upgrade clears then you would need to buy the stickers before checking in. Also, IIRC if your on the upgrade list and do not purchase the required stickers you can check in for your original coach seat but would be dropped from the upgrade list. In that case I would suggest holding off checking in until around T-1 and then checking where you stand on the list.

You would start running the miles odometer toward earning “stickers” as soon as you begin Platinum status.

On the three class transcon (specifically LAX->JFK), if I received the complimentary upgrade to business (as a PlatPro), is it possible to upgrade from there to first using miles and cash? My thinking is no, but it seems like a special situation where a domestic is three classes.

Nope, double upgrades have never been possible on any AA 3-class flights (of course not including the very rare instances of oversold cabin rolls or other irrops, etc.).

Is it possible to upgrade a companion on a separate PNR using 500 mile upgrades ?
They are also booked in a different cabin then I am.

Currently booked in First class but my companion is booked on a separate PNR in Main Cabin.

It's definitely possible to upgrade a companion on a separate PNR, done it oodles of times over the years. You just have to call AA to set it up.

However, I doubt it will be possible in advance in this case as you typically need to be booked in the same cabin to extend upgrade and seating benefits to a companion. However, if the phone agents say no, but you happen to stumble on the rare flight where there are open seats in F at the gate and no one else on the upgrade list, I would certainly ask again at the gate.

No, no way to extend your preferred seating benefits when you're in a different cabin.

Republic has nothing to do with it. American controls the reservation system and upgrade process.

... and will point their fingers at anyone else they can to avoid having to dig in to solve an issue. :( Welcome to CSR 2019 (and many years earlier)

What can be done with 25 or so 500mi upgrade certs in my account. No status anymore and don't plan on getting it either.

Nothing. They never expire, so if you were to gain status again you can use them.

Indeed. I fly DCA-SDF & SDF-CLT-DCA on Mondays. Systematically, the first two segments (operated by PSA) clear at T-28 hours (and often the front cabin is entirely empty on each segment until that happens).

But CLT-DCA, operated by Republic, consistently clears at ~T-103 hours even when that upgrade gives me one of the last three or four seats available in the cabin.

It doesn't "make sense" to me that AA would give me the advance upgrade on the theoretically much-harder-to-clear CLT-DCA (and indeed there are often 15-20 or more on the upgrade list at the gate and 0-2 clear). Nor does it "make sense" that AA would withhold it at the 100-hour window on DCA-SDF or SDF-CLT.

But no one said it's supposed to make sense to us!

Ok hoping someone can help with my situation. New to AA as I'm currently on a platinum pro gifted challenge.
So next week I'm flying IAH-DFW-AMA with a no status companion on same reservation. I'm pretty sure my upgrades are complimentary since its under 500 miles each segment, but how does it work for my companion? Do I need to buy 500 mile certs? And if so, do I need to buy 2 since its 2 segments? Do we even need the certs for her to get potentially upgraded? Do I need certs to get upgraded?

Any help is appreciated!

Yes you'll need 2 certs (1 for companion for each segment) if the upgrades clear, but you can wait until they clear to buy them, at least up until you go to the airport. If you haven't cleared by the time you go to the airport, then you should buy one upgrade (no need to buy two upfront, in case you don't clear IAH-DFW) and carry over to the airport waitlist.

Thanks! What happens if she does clear the upgrade before we get to the airport, but my account doesn't have any 500 certificates? Would she just get downgraded again? Because these are such short flights (about an hour each) not really sure its worth $40 per segment. And if we uncheck the request upgrade thing on the reservation where it says (1 passenger 500 mile cert for each segment) will that cause me to not get upgraded as well?
And if we both get upgraded but there are no certs in my account will we both be downgraded?

Also, does AA split up reservations if the upgrades don't clear prior to check in? UA does this, so not sure about AA.

I'm very new to platinum status as I just qualified for the first time. My understanding is that you can request upgrades without the 500 mile stickers being purchased but if the upgrades do clear you need to purchase them before you can check into the flight. I would imagine that if you checked in without purchasing the stickers you would loose the upgrade. I'm not sure how they work after you arrive at the airport and are placed on the airport waiting list.

If you are Platinum Pro. You don't need to worry about 500 mile upgrades in terms of upgrades for you.

AA will split the reservation, doing this should give you a better chance of being upgraded if there is only one seat left. The downside is that your companion will no lon ger receive any of the elite benefits they enjoyed because of you. This includes free checked baggage, free MCE seats etc.

1. If you clear before check in, you'll have to buy a cert to check in.

2. If you want to decline, then just tell the check in agent. I don't think there's an option to do so online or on the app.

3. If you uncheck the box now, then neither of you will be upgraded.

4. If you want to keep your freebie upgrade without your companion's chance of $40 upgrade, then call AA to split the reservation.

On the app, you can abandon an unconfirmed upgrade in order to check-in. Once confirmed, you probably need to call first and get a seat assignment back in coach if you've changed your mind.

Upgrading domestic coach to Business for Exec Plats
 

For an Exec Plat trying to get a complimentary upgrade from Y to J on an AA transcon, is it better to check-in on line as soon as OLCI opens or it it better to head to the airport early and complete the check-in process at the airport?