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
May 15, 2021, 7:26 am
#436
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 32
I’m confused. You’re saying you did a status match challenge that gave you gold or platinum status during the challenge and you somehow already had 500mi certs and you didn’t meet the requirements of the challenge within the window so you will lose your status right before the flight? If so you won’t clear the upgrade.
May 15, 2021, 1:58 pm
#437
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
Yes. They automatically gave everyone who got targeted for the Status Match free status Accelerator 10 500mi upgrades. They are already applied to my flight, but I lose status (back to regular member) a week before the flight occurs. Either way, I think you're probably right. Oh well, at least I'm in a domestic Premium Econ seat already for free.
May 15, 2021, 7:47 pm
#438
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
I can confirm that. I have a couple dozen in my account that are, at present, useless to me.
May 15, 2021, 9:51 pm
#439
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,104
Years ago status lost would stick to existing reservations (the opposite was true when gaining status too). If still true, you might get lucky but also don’t do anything after losing status that might force a sync (SDC, changing seats, etc)
May 16, 2021, 6:33 am
#440
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 32
that’s what I’m hoping for. Fingers crossed.
May 16, 2021, 12:26 pm
#441
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP, lowly UA 1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold; National EC, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,214
I am sure this has been answered but I can't find it.
Me (EXP) and SO (no status) got upgraded on domestic route >500 miles. Before I top up my balance, do the stickers for SO's upgrade need to be in my account, her account, or does it not matter?
EDIT: I also realize now she's using her AS number, so to the extent it has to be from her account I don't even know how that would be possible.
Me (EXP) and SO (no status) got upgraded on domestic route >500 miles. Before I top up my balance, do the stickers for SO's upgrade need to be in my account, her account, or does it not matter?
EDIT: I also realize now she's using her AS number, so to the extent it has to be from her account I don't even know how that would be possible.
Last edited by adambadam; May 16, 2021 at 12:38 pm
May 16, 2021, 12:40 pm
#442
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
I am sure this has been answered but I can't find it.
Me (EXP) and SO (no status) got upgraded on domestic route >500 miles. Before I top up my balance, do the stickers for SO's upgrade need to be in my account, her account, or does it not matter?
EDIT: I also realize now she's using her AS number, so to the extent it has to be from her account I don't even know how that would be possible.
Me (EXP) and SO (no status) got upgraded on domestic route >500 miles. Before I top up my balance, do the stickers for SO's upgrade need to be in my account, her account, or does it not matter?
EDIT: I also realize now she's using her AS number, so to the extent it has to be from her account I don't even know how that would be possible.
May 20, 2021, 12:24 pm
#443
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,425
How did you find out you were upgraded before having enough stickers? Every time I have requested upgrades without enough stickers, I have been directed to buy more before the request would go through.
May 23, 2021, 11:27 am
#444
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
Even if you did, it’s quite possible to have sufficient upgrades at the time of request but then use them up on other flights before the request clears. The upgrades are not pulled from your account or earmarked for a specific flight at the time of request. Should that happen you will not be able to check in until you either purchase the missing upgrades or decline the cleared upgrade.
May 24, 2021, 11:45 am
#445
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
IME you don’t need the upgrades in your account to make a request.
Even if you did, it’s quite possible to have sufficient upgrades at the time of request but then use them up on other flights before the request clears. The upgrades are not pulled from your account or earmarked for a specific flight at the time of request. Should that happen you will not be able to check in until you either purchase the missing upgrades or decline the cleared upgrade.
Even if you did, it’s quite possible to have sufficient upgrades at the time of request but then use them up on other flights before the request clears. The upgrades are not pulled from your account or earmarked for a specific flight at the time of request. Should that happen you will not be able to check in until you either purchase the missing upgrades or decline the cleared upgrade.
May 25, 2021, 2:46 pm
#446
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,425
May 25, 2021, 5:35 pm
#447
Join Date: May 2006
Location: STL
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Platinum Pro, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,429
Upgrades on AS ticket, but AA operated metal
Booked a ticket thru Alaska.com that was about $100 cheaper than the same flights on AA.com. Flights sold as AS codeshare/AA metal. After purchasing I was given record locators for AS and AA
Went over to AA.com, pulled up reservation, and was able to select MCE by putting my AAdvantage number in. However it did not give me the option to upgrade so I called reservations and they said I couldn’t upgrade because it was on AS ticket stock. I can’t seem to find any verbiage to indicate that is the case, and I never ran into this issue with US booked/AA operated flights.
Has anyone had success getting an agent put upgrade requests in? Or is this just another limitation of Sabre?
Went over to AA.com, pulled up reservation, and was able to select MCE by putting my AAdvantage number in. However it did not give me the option to upgrade so I called reservations and they said I couldn’t upgrade because it was on AS ticket stock. I can’t seem to find any verbiage to indicate that is the case, and I never ran into this issue with US booked/AA operated flights.
Has anyone had success getting an agent put upgrade requests in? Or is this just another limitation of Sabre?
Jun 23, 2021, 12:08 pm
#449
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA - Silver, Hertz-5 star
Posts: 217
How do 500 mile upgrade awards actually work
Hello regular AA peoples
So I just signed up for a 3 month platinum promotion that includes (6) 500 mile upgrade certs, I get 2 more if I travel within the next 3 months. How does this work? Do I book a Main Cabin seat and at checkout it asks me if I want to apply any certs? AA seems unique to this type of upgrade option.
Thanks,
Paul
So I just signed up for a 3 month platinum promotion that includes (6) 500 mile upgrade certs, I get 2 more if I travel within the next 3 months. How does this work? Do I book a Main Cabin seat and at checkout it asks me if I want to apply any certs? AA seems unique to this type of upgrade option.
Thanks,
Paul
Jun 23, 2021, 12:11 pm
#450
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,038
Yes, when you purchase a flight, you'll be asked if you want to use your upgrades on the flights. If you choose yes, once you hit your upgrade window (I think it's 48 hours for Platinum), you MAY be upgraded. This can happen at any point from 48 hours prior to the flight, all the way up until the gate closes on the day of your flight. Note though, if your flight is less than 500 miles, these 500-mile upgrades are not needed.