Jan 2, 2013, 4:01 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Glossary:
500 mile upgrades: earned by Gold and Platinum Elites, can be used to upgrade segments in 500 mile increments of North and Central America, Caribbean flights from Economy to the next class of service.. Read below.
e500: Occasional nickname used for 500 mile upgrades.
Electronic or 500 mile upgrades: non-expiring electronic instruments used for near Americas and Caribbean elite upgrades; please read below.
MTEU: Miles Toward Electronic Upgrades. The MTEU earning year zeroes February 28.
Stickers: Holdover name from when 500 mile upgrades were actual stickers applied to tickets when upgraded.
UDU: Unlimited Domestic Upgrades granted EXP and PRO members in lieu of earning or using 500 mile upgrades. (Consequently, they do not earn “stickers”.)
Related thread: End of Feb insufficient miles for 4 500 mile upgrade stickers (2017). (Requesting "stickers" for incremental MTEU threshold accomplishment.)
NOTE: CHANGES in effect as of 1 January 2017:
Upgrade priority:
Platinum Pro status holders join Executive Platinum members with complimentary "Unlimited Domestic Upgrades / UDU.
Companions:
ONE passenger traveling with you can “borrow” your status for upgrade purposes. They do not have to be on the same PNR. When this is done, you’ll not be upgraded unless sufficient upgrade seats become available to upgrade two (or more) people. This link often is broken when the flight control goes to the airport, and it can be reestablished there (e.g. at the gate). A good clue that the link has broken is if you’re #1 or 2 and your companion is significantly below that on the upgrade list, such as #11. Finally, because of IT flaws, the 500 mile upgrades for your traveling companion will by necessity come from your account, even if your companion has their own “stickers”. This has not been true for some time, if your companion has status, the system will try to pull the stickers from the companion's account. If there are not enough stickers, you will have to check-in at the airport to have stickers pulled from your account
For questions about whether to split or consolidate PNRs for itineraries involving multiple parties, please see this thread:
Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR for status etc. (master thread)
Link to aa.com 500 mile upgrades (AKA "stickers") page.
Link to aa.com to "Upgrade your experience".
500 mile upgrades: earned by Gold and Platinum Elites, can be used to upgrade segments in 500 mile increments of North and Central America, Caribbean flights from Economy to the next class of service.. Read below.
e500: Occasional nickname used for 500 mile upgrades.
Electronic or 500 mile upgrades: non-expiring electronic instruments used for near Americas and Caribbean elite upgrades; please read below.
MTEU: Miles Toward Electronic Upgrades. The MTEU earning year zeroes February 28.
Stickers: Holdover name from when 500 mile upgrades were actual stickers applied to tickets when upgraded.
UDU: Unlimited Domestic Upgrades granted EXP and PRO members in lieu of earning or using 500 mile upgrades. (Consequently, they do not earn “stickers”.)
Related thread: End of Feb insufficient miles for 4 500 mile upgrade stickers (2017). (Requesting "stickers" for incremental MTEU threshold accomplishment.)
NOTE: CHANGES in effect as of 1 January 2017:
Upgrade priority:
- Elite tier
- Systemwide and Mileage award upgrades
- Business Extra and certain Agency upgrade certificates
- 500-mile / courtesy DODU / UDU upgrades on purchased tickets
- 500-mile upgrades on PRO, EXP award tickets
- Last 12 month rolling EAD spend
- Fare code
- Date if purchase
Platinum Pro status holders join Executive Platinum members with complimentary "Unlimited Domestic Upgrades / UDU.
- Usable to upgrade from Economy to next class of service (Not Business to First)
- Flights 500 miles or less: Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades*
- Flights over 500 miles: Complimentary "domestic" (North & Central America, Caribbean) upgrades
- Upgrade one companion traveling with you on the same flight with 500-mile upgrades*
Companions:
ONE passenger traveling with you can “borrow” your status for upgrade purposes. They do not have to be on the same PNR. When this is done, you’ll not be upgraded unless sufficient upgrade seats become available to upgrade two (or more) people. This link often is broken when the flight control goes to the airport, and it can be reestablished there (e.g. at the gate). A good clue that the link has broken is if you’re #1 or 2 and your companion is significantly below that on the upgrade list, such as #11. Finally, because of IT flaws, the 500 mile upgrades for your traveling companion will by necessity come from your account, even if your companion has their own “stickers”. This has not been true for some time, if your companion has status, the system will try to pull the stickers from the companion's account. If there are not enough stickers, you will have to check-in at the airport to have stickers pulled from your account
For questions about whether to split or consolidate PNRs for itineraries involving multiple parties, please see this thread:
Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR for status etc. (master thread)
Link to aa.com 500 mile upgrades (AKA "stickers") page.
Link to aa.com to "Upgrade your experience".
AA "Sticker" / 500-mile & EXP "UDU" Complimentary Upgrade Policy / FAQ
Oct 20, 2018, 12:21 am
#106
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
I am confused about automatic upgrades for elites. My wife and I are booked from PHX-CLT-RIC. Shortly after booking this flight I got an email from American with the message "We’re unable to automatically request 500-mile upgrades because you’re traveling with someone not eligible for complimentary upgrades."
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
You can call and get yourself listed for upgrade. You can also request an upgrade for your wife as well---it will cost 1 sticker; if you don't have one in your account, it can be purchased for $40 I believe.
Be prepared to face a rather common dilemma if your ug comes thru but your wife's does not. In that situation, I suggest you send her to First Class and you sit in coach.
Oct 20, 2018, 8:01 am
#107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
I am confused about automatic upgrades for elites. My wife and I are booked from PHX-CLT-RIC. Shortly after booking this flight I got an email from American with the message "We’re unable to automatically request 500-mile upgrades because you’re traveling with someone not eligible for complimentary upgrades."
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
Oct 20, 2018, 9:31 am
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
I am confused about automatic upgrades for elites. My wife and I are booked from PHX-CLT-RIC. Shortly after booking this flight I got an email from American with the message "We’re unable to automatically request 500-mile upgrades because you’re traveling with someone not eligible for complimentary upgrades."
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
Can someone explain this message to me? I am lifetime GOLD as a million miler but my wife has no elite status. Does the complimentary upgrade for flights under 500 miles (CLT-RIC) not apply when an elite is travelling with a non elite? Even so would I not get an automatic upgrade as a Gold member?
Oct 20, 2018, 11:12 am
#109
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AZ
Programs: AA Million Miler, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 246
So it appears that non elites are not eligible for complimentary upgrades even when travelling with an elite on the same PNR. That was not clear from reading the upgrade descriptions from AA.
Oct 20, 2018, 12:35 pm
#110
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
No, they do not get a free upgrade, but the elite can pony up 500-mile upgrades to travel together. Again, how are the tickets being paid for?
Oct 20, 2018, 2:09 pm
#111
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AZ
Programs: AA Million Miler, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 246
The tickets were purchased and I am allowed to use 500 mile certificates to upgrade both of us but I would think I would not need one since I am eligible for a complimentary upgrade.
Oct 20, 2018, 2:24 pm
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Typically they deposit a new 500-mile upgrade to provide the complementary upgrade. So as long as you have one in your account, you should be good to go. How many do you have now?
Oct 20, 2018, 5:54 pm
#113
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
Dec 23, 2018, 11:50 am
#114
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 464
I'm traveling Mexico-US with an infant (lap) and just had an upgrade clear. It's telling me I need stickers for both the infant and me. Is this correct? If so, I'm going to ask for the downgrade since I'm short on stickers and not worth purchasing for this short-ish leg.
Update: Did not need stickers for infant. Just an issue/bug with app.
Update: Did not need stickers for infant. Just an issue/bug with app.
Last edited by slice; Dec 26, 2018 at 6:24 am
Dec 29, 2018, 9:25 am
#115
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 4
Are My First Class Upgrade Benefits Useless?
Hey gang... fairly new to AA (been Platinum in 2018 and will be Pro in 2019) but rarely traveled them prior to a move from the west coast for work.
For a number of reasons, I ALWAYS travel First Class. I'm 6'4", slightly overweight, and I have a bad back requiring me to frequently kind of adjust my seating position and relieve some pressure on my tailbone. Plus, I get a little anxious sitting too close to other folks. So, for the last five years I've been fortunate enough to only fly in 1st. I'll even go out of my way to choose flights that have availability in first, even if it sometimes means an inconvenient route or staying a day longer than anticipated at my destination city, for example.
My question is this... I've racked up over 35 500-Mile upgrades with AA. I've never attempted to use them, because my understanding is that I'm not guaranteed a First Class seat. Doesn't this make the upgrade benefits nearly useless for me?
For a number of reasons, I ALWAYS travel First Class. I'm 6'4", slightly overweight, and I have a bad back requiring me to frequently kind of adjust my seating position and relieve some pressure on my tailbone. Plus, I get a little anxious sitting too close to other folks. So, for the last five years I've been fortunate enough to only fly in 1st. I'll even go out of my way to choose flights that have availability in first, even if it sometimes means an inconvenient route or staying a day longer than anticipated at my destination city, for example.
My question is this... I've racked up over 35 500-Mile upgrades with AA. I've never attempted to use them, because my understanding is that I'm not guaranteed a First Class seat. Doesn't this make the upgrade benefits nearly useless for me?
Dec 29, 2018, 9:29 am
#116
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Hey gang... fairly new to AA (been Platinum in 2018 and will be Pro in 2019) but rarely traveled them prior to a move from the west coast for work.
For a number of reasons, I ALWAYS travel First Class.
My question is this... I've racked up over 35 500-Mile upgrades with AA. I've never attempted to use them, because my understanding is that I'm not guaranteed a First Class seat. Doesn't this make the upgrade benefits nearly useless for me?
For a number of reasons, I ALWAYS travel First Class.
My question is this... I've racked up over 35 500-Mile upgrades with AA. I've never attempted to use them, because my understanding is that I'm not guaranteed a First Class seat. Doesn't this make the upgrade benefits nearly useless for me?
Dec 29, 2018, 11:07 am
#117
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,238
If you're within your status upgrade window (e.g., T-72h for Platinum), you can request the upgrade during the booking process on AA.com, and if there's availability then your upgrade should clear even before you finish purchasing the ticket. I wouldn't expect this to happen often, but it's worth checking if you're booking close-in.
And of course, once you achieve Platinum Pro, you will stop accumulating the 500-mile upgrades, so you don't have to complain about receiving a worthless benefit.
And of course, once you achieve Platinum Pro, you will stop accumulating the 500-mile upgrades, so you don't have to complain about receiving a worthless benefit.
Dec 29, 2018, 11:10 am
#118
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 4
If you're within your status upgrade window (e.g., T-72h for Platinum), you can request the upgrade during the booking process on AA.com, and if there's availability then your upgrade should clear even before you finish purchasing the ticket. I wouldn't expect this to happen often, but it's worth checking if you're booking close-in.
And of course, once you achieve Platinum Pro, you will stop accumulating the 500-mile upgrades, so you don't have to complain about receiving a worthless benefit.
And of course, once you achieve Platinum Pro, you will stop accumulating the 500-mile upgrades, so you don't have to complain about receiving a worthless benefit.
I didn't think about close-in booking that way, so that's helpful. Most of my trips are planned out 2-3 weeks in advance, but the occasional quick-trip comes up and that may be one way I can utilize the benefit without sweating it.
Thanks for that!
Last edited by ceolife; Dec 29, 2018 at 11:11 am Reason: OCD/Typo
Dec 29, 2018, 12:13 pm
#119
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
500 mile upgrades never expire, so maybe if in the future you get into a physical state where flying coach is ok with you you can use them at that time.
Dec 29, 2018, 12:41 pm
#120
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,977
Since you'll be Platinum Pro in 2019 the 500-mile upgrades will be even more useless, as your domestic upgrades from coach to first would be complimentary.