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
Apr 8, 2018, 2:43 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
Apr 14, 2018, 4:36 pm
#48
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: West Palm Beach, FL, USA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Gold, Marriott Platinum, ALL Gold
Posts: 206
Can AAgent Manually Upgrade using 500 Mile Upgrades?
Sorry if I missed this somewhere else.
I am traveling with my wife tomorrow. I am Plat, she is Gold. We are in the same record and cleared the first segment on 500 mile upgrades a the 48 hour window but the second did not. This morning I checked EF and saw that there was 1 seat available in C so I called AA figuring I would ask to agent to confirm availability and then split the record so I could be upgraded (read: Wife sits in F) and hopefully a second seat would open at he 24 hour mark for Golds. The agent confirmed availability and split the record as requested, then told me that she could not process the upgrade since 500 mile upgrades could only be processed "automatically by the system" so hopefully it would clear in a few minutes. I had never heard of this. Perhaps I should have HUCA, but I didn't. When I checked about an hour later, no upgrade and C availability was gone. The record was properly split and we are both on waitlisted for an upgrade).
Is the inability of the agent to process the upgrade something new or did I screw myself by not calling back? Not the end of he world, but I would like to know what is supposed to happen. As it stands now, Mrs. JeffD is no longer Plat for upgrade purposes so if I had known this was going to happen I probably would have left it alone. Did I miss something or is this the way it's supposed to work?
I am traveling with my wife tomorrow. I am Plat, she is Gold. We are in the same record and cleared the first segment on 500 mile upgrades a the 48 hour window but the second did not. This morning I checked EF and saw that there was 1 seat available in C so I called AA figuring I would ask to agent to confirm availability and then split the record so I could be upgraded (read: Wife sits in F) and hopefully a second seat would open at he 24 hour mark for Golds. The agent confirmed availability and split the record as requested, then told me that she could not process the upgrade since 500 mile upgrades could only be processed "automatically by the system" so hopefully it would clear in a few minutes. I had never heard of this. Perhaps I should have HUCA, but I didn't. When I checked about an hour later, no upgrade and C availability was gone. The record was properly split and we are both on waitlisted for an upgrade).
Is the inability of the agent to process the upgrade something new or did I screw myself by not calling back? Not the end of he world, but I would like to know what is supposed to happen. As it stands now, Mrs. JeffD is no longer Plat for upgrade purposes so if I had known this was going to happen I probably would have left it alone. Did I miss something or is this the way it's supposed to work?
Apr 14, 2018, 5:16 pm
#49
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 255
Sorry if I missed this somewhere else.
I am traveling with my wife tomorrow. I am Plat, she is Gold. We are in the same record and cleared the first segment on 500 mile upgrades a the 48 hour window but the second did not. This morning I checked EF and saw that there was 1 seat available in C so I called AA figuring I would ask to agent to confirm availability and then split the record so I could be upgraded (read: Wife sits in F) and hopefully a second seat would open at he 24 hour mark for Golds. The agent confirmed availability and split the record as requested, then told me that she could not process the upgrade since 500 mile upgrades could only be processed "automatically by the system" so hopefully it would clear in a few minutes. I had never heard of this. Perhaps I should have HUCA, but I didn't. When I checked about an hour later, no upgrade and C availability was gone. The record was properly split and we are both on waitlisted for an upgrade).
Is the inability of the agent to process the upgrade something new or did I screw myself by not calling back? Not the end of he world, but I would like to know what is supposed to happen. As it stands now, Mrs. JeffD is no longer Plat for upgrade purposes so if I had known this was going to happen I probably would have left it alone. Did I miss something or is this the way it's supposed to work?
I am traveling with my wife tomorrow. I am Plat, she is Gold. We are in the same record and cleared the first segment on 500 mile upgrades a the 48 hour window but the second did not. This morning I checked EF and saw that there was 1 seat available in C so I called AA figuring I would ask to agent to confirm availability and then split the record so I could be upgraded (read: Wife sits in F) and hopefully a second seat would open at he 24 hour mark for Golds. The agent confirmed availability and split the record as requested, then told me that she could not process the upgrade since 500 mile upgrades could only be processed "automatically by the system" so hopefully it would clear in a few minutes. I had never heard of this. Perhaps I should have HUCA, but I didn't. When I checked about an hour later, no upgrade and C availability was gone. The record was properly split and we are both on waitlisted for an upgrade).
Is the inability of the agent to process the upgrade something new or did I screw myself by not calling back? Not the end of he world, but I would like to know what is supposed to happen. As it stands now, Mrs. JeffD is no longer Plat for upgrade purposes so if I had known this was going to happen I probably would have left it alone. Did I miss something or is this the way it's supposed to work?
Apr 14, 2018, 7:22 pm
#51
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Apr 14, 2018, 11:07 pm
#52
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: West Palm Beach, FL, USA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Gold, Marriott Platinum, ALL Gold
Posts: 206
I might be missing something but I guess I am confused as to why you thought you would have automatically been the next in line to upgrade? Someone with higher status could have ticketed in the intervening period and been next in line to upgrade ahead of you. Someone could have purchased a paid ticket in that premium cabin. Also, it is also common for AA to process upgrades and leave just one seat in the premium cabin for sale. If unsold, it gets taken via upgrades at the gate.
This was not a case of only one seat being available in J for sale (i.e. J1) and waiting for the gate agent to process an upgrade if the seat remained empty. The seat had already been released for upgrade (C1) within the 48 hours upgrade window If true, then there are multiple reasons why I didn't get the upgrade. If the agent was misinformed I want to know to avoid this problem in the future.
Apr 15, 2018, 5:58 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,478
I think you missed the point of my question. To me, what you have stated is the obvious. What I am inquiring about is the ability of the agent to immediately confirm a 500 mile upgrade if they show it available (which in this case, the agent confirmed it was) and the passenger is in the appropriate upgrade window. The agent told me she could not, and only the auto-upgrade system could upgrade using stickers. I had never been told that before so my question is whether or not that statement s true.
This was not a case of only one seat being available in J for sale (i.e. J1) and waiting for the gate agent to process an upgrade if the seat remained empty. The seat had already been released for upgrade (C1) within the 48 hours upgrade window If true, then there are multiple reasons why I didn't get the upgrade. If the agent was misinformed I want to know to avoid this problem in the future.
This was not a case of only one seat being available in J for sale (i.e. J1) and waiting for the gate agent to process an upgrade if the seat remained empty. The seat had already been released for upgrade (C1) within the 48 hours upgrade window If true, then there are multiple reasons why I didn't get the upgrade. If the agent was misinformed I want to know to avoid this problem in the future.
It's very typical for AA to have C space but no R until right before departure. The AAgent was correct, if the flight was R1, then the system should have automatically processed your upgrade as soon as you split the PNR and went back on the upgrade list as a solo passenger. But in this case there was no R inventory to begin with, hence nothing for the system or AAgent to process.
Apr 15, 2018, 10:56 am
#54
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
miles and copay, yes. 500 Mile segment upgrades, no, if on the same record and one is relying on the higher status of another. It must come out of the persons account whose status is determining the position of the upgrade list.
Apr 15, 2018, 2:02 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
I haven't followed what the latest update is on this, but I have a BA marketed AA operated flight. Is it possible to request to be added to the upgrade list either (1) over the phone (2) as the airport?
Apr 15, 2018, 2:35 pm
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
I do not think it has changed. Flight needs to be AA marketed and Operated to be upgrade eligible
Apr 15, 2018, 2:38 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Domestic 500-mi upgrades need R space, not C. C is the inventory used for miles/copay or SWU upgrades and has nothing to do with your request for 500-mi upgrades.
It's very typical for AA to have C space but no R until right before departure. The AAgent was correct, if the flight was R1, then the system should have automatically processed your upgrade as soon as you split the PNR and went back on the upgrade list as a solo passenger. But in this case there was no R inventory to begin with, hence nothing for the system or AAgent to process.
It's very typical for AA to have C space but no R until right before departure. The AAgent was correct, if the flight was R1, then the system should have automatically processed your upgrade as soon as you split the PNR and went back on the upgrade list as a solo passenger. But in this case there was no R inventory to begin with, hence nothing for the system or AAgent to process.
so my guess is the Agent thought you were referring to instantly upgrading using SWU/miles+Copay which would have been possible as it was C1 (but likely R0).
Apr 15, 2018, 7:01 pm
#58
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
You are correct. Miles and copay, and also for award flights. My wife flies far more than I do, and we push for her to remain EXPLAT because sometimes we both reap the benefits. So our strategy is for her to fly on paid tickets while I fly on awards with all the miles she has earned. I have been satisfied with my lifetime PLAT (2 MM), although now I might fly more on paid tickets to reach PLATPRO. Make sense?
Apr 15, 2018, 9:39 pm
#59
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Portland, OR.
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 606
HI there a quick question. I'm Explat this year but won't qualify for next year. When I was platinum, i would earn 500 mile upgrades to use, But as EP, I don't earn them because upgrades are free. What happens when I go back to platinum and don't have any upgrades in my account because they have expired.....
thanks
thanks
Apr 16, 2018, 12:01 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
HI there a quick question. I'm Explat this year but won't qualify for next year. When I was platinum, i would earn 500 mile upgrades to use, But as EP, I don't earn them because upgrades are free. What happens when I go back to platinum and don't have any upgrades in my account because they have expired.....
thanks
thanks
they are available for use once you drop to PLT or lower. And you will start earning them again too