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
Feb 7, 2018, 11:11 am
#16
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
So I don’t normally buy these but was one short. I made the purchase through the AA app four days ago. I got a receipt by email. None of my AA apps show an increased number of upgrades. The only place I see the increased number is one place on aa.com. Even there, there are still some places that show the lower number. The only remark I saw was about needing at least 48 hours to allow the upgrade to credit. Should I contact AA at this point since none of my apps show the correct number? I have also tried logging out of the app and back in.
Feb 7, 2018, 3:57 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
This worked for me. I called the platinum desk and the first guy I spoke to gave me some general information about 500-mile upgrades and then eventually transferred me to customer service. They were very helpful -- they calculated that I had earned about 8,500 so I only got two, though I thought I was closer to 10,000. But, either way, I was happy to get any. Many thanks!
Feb 9, 2018, 1:55 pm
#18
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 22
Question along the same line. I am now Platinum Pro and I do not need 500 mile stickers anymore but I do for companion but do I understand it correct that I will not earn anymore as PP moving forward to use for my companions. That seems silly.
Feb 9, 2018, 2:22 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,235
I get why they did it, not sure what makes more sense - you continue to earn (maybe at a reduced rate) or the current model. Somehow I ended up with 51 stickers, so haven't had any issues for companions as EXP.
Mar 11, 2018, 2:50 pm
#20
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Question about upgrades and how stickers are deducted if we get lucky. Ticket purchased from an OTA, once it ticketed I logged into my AA account and checked the upgrade request box. My wife and I are both Gold with the same EQD from 2017 since all our flights were together. If the upgrades clear, will it deduct all the stickers from my account since I checked the box, or will we each pay our '2'?
I am not sure b/c the only other time our upgrades processed, I was Plat (she was Gold) so all were deducted from my bank rather than split the PNR and lose her upgrade priority. But this time we're on equal footing.
I am not sure b/c the only other time our upgrades processed, I was Plat (she was Gold) so all were deducted from my bank rather than split the PNR and lose her upgrade priority. But this time we're on equal footing.
Mar 12, 2018, 7:05 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP, 2 Million Miler
Posts: 821
Question about upgrades and how stickers are deducted if we get lucky. Ticket purchased from an OTA, once it ticketed I logged into my AA account and checked the upgrade request box. My wife and I are both Gold with the same EQD from 2017 since all our flights were together. If the upgrades clear, will it deduct all the stickers from my account since I checked the box, or will we each pay our '2'?
I am not sure b/c the only other time our upgrades processed, I was Plat (she was Gold) so all were deducted from my bank rather than split the PNR and lose her upgrade priority. But this time we're on equal footing.
I am not sure b/c the only other time our upgrades processed, I was Plat (she was Gold) so all were deducted from my bank rather than split the PNR and lose her upgrade priority. But this time we're on equal footing.
When I requested upgrades for previous trips for my wife and me, AA deducted the stickers from her account when she had them on one trip and deducted the stickers from my account when she had no stickers on another trip. So, it seems like they will hit each respective account if stickers are available in each account.
Mar 16, 2018, 5:24 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 121
I have a question - is it possible to be on both the sticker and the VIP/miles waitlist for an EXP on a revenue coach domestic ticket? I've been waitlisted on both before and have cleared into R before C availability. I am trying to upgrade a domestic coach itinerary and have been told by the EXP desk that I can either be on the EVIP or complimentary list but not both. I am hoping to avoid missing an upgrade if R becomes available before C, which seems to have happened in the past.
Mar 16, 2018, 5:26 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
No suppose to be. But sometimes agents when requesting C will forget to take u off of the 500 miler list.
Mar 16, 2018, 7:09 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Based on my experience, they will deduct from your respective Advantage accounts.
When I requested upgrades for previous trips for my wife and me, AA deducted the stickers from her account when she had them on one trip and deducted the stickers from my account when she had no stickers on another trip. So, it seems like they will hit each respective account if stickers are available in each account.
When I requested upgrades for previous trips for my wife and me, AA deducted the stickers from her account when she had them on one trip and deducted the stickers from my account when she had no stickers on another trip. So, it seems like they will hit each respective account if stickers are available in each account.
Mar 16, 2018, 7:14 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
My wife was EP last year, and only made Plat this year (not enough EQDs). She was on a flight with available F seats but did not get an upgrade because as EP she didn't accumulate stickers, so she had none. Later, she called customer service to "complain" (very courteously). The very nice agent told her, "I can fix that for the future," and moved her to PlatPro at no charge! She had been offered PlatPro earlier for about $1800.
Mar 17, 2018, 10:32 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,240
Anyone know how this would happen?
LAX to JFK flight to this morning. Gate agent announces that business checked in full. After boarding numbers 9 and 10 on the waitlist clear no one else.
If 9/10 went biz to first why didn't 1/2 go coach to biz?
If 9/10 went coach to biz, why did they jump the queue?
LAX to JFK flight to this morning. Gate agent announces that business checked in full. After boarding numbers 9 and 10 on the waitlist clear no one else.
If 9/10 went biz to first why didn't 1/2 go coach to biz?
If 9/10 went coach to biz, why did they jump the queue?
Mar 17, 2018, 12:38 pm
#27
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,192
Biz checked in full but 2 where no shows. 9/10 went coach to biz. Everyone else before then in queue was already in biz waiting for first. Or something like that.
Apr 3, 2018, 12:08 am
#30
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
Sticker Upgrade Use: Please Advise New User
I'm curious about how people use their sticker upgrades. I've never used one.
I almost never flew AA before the merger, and when I was elite it was usually on US or DL, who both have unlimited free upgrades. Since the merger I've accumulated 11 stickers. They accrue pretty slowly, even not counting for the rounding-up you get stickers for 16% of your flown miles; used to be 20%.
In a couple weeks I'm flying PHL-LAX-PDX. Y was $183, F was $565, a difference of $380. It would take 7 stickers to upgrade, which would cost $280. By buying F I get extra EQMs, and I'd have almost no chance of being upgraded anyway on the PHL-LAX leg. Admittedly this is possibly an extreme example. I think paid PHL-LAX is about $220 in Y and $1020 in F, so that would be $800 fare difference vs. $200 worth of stickers. ("Hidden City" pricing is of course in play here, but no I'm not playing that game, I'm going to PDX.)
Unless you're EXP, or Plat Pro since there has been Plat Pro, you're going to earn stickers much more slowly than you will fly. I'm saving mine because I never know when I might have a really stressful trip and want to treat myself, or maybe have a traveling companion I want to impress.
Do people buy stickers and then try to upgrade as often as possible?
I almost never flew AA before the merger, and when I was elite it was usually on US or DL, who both have unlimited free upgrades. Since the merger I've accumulated 11 stickers. They accrue pretty slowly, even not counting for the rounding-up you get stickers for 16% of your flown miles; used to be 20%.
In a couple weeks I'm flying PHL-LAX-PDX. Y was $183, F was $565, a difference of $380. It would take 7 stickers to upgrade, which would cost $280. By buying F I get extra EQMs, and I'd have almost no chance of being upgraded anyway on the PHL-LAX leg. Admittedly this is possibly an extreme example. I think paid PHL-LAX is about $220 in Y and $1020 in F, so that would be $800 fare difference vs. $200 worth of stickers. ("Hidden City" pricing is of course in play here, but no I'm not playing that game, I'm going to PDX.)
Unless you're EXP, or Plat Pro since there has been Plat Pro, you're going to earn stickers much more slowly than you will fly. I'm saving mine because I never know when I might have a really stressful trip and want to treat myself, or maybe have a traveling companion I want to impress.
Do people buy stickers and then try to upgrade as often as possible?