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 19, 2019, 6:02 pm
#181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
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.
Feb 26, 2019, 6:23 pm
#182
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
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.
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.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:58 am
#183
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,511
Yes, my buddy does it for colleagues often and they are always separate PNR’s. I believe you have to ask at the airport, but not 100% sure on that.
Feb 27, 2019, 6:06 am
#184
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
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.
Feb 27, 2019, 8:00 am
#185
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
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.
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.
any way to get them MCE/preferred seating if I’m in a different cabin ?
Feb 27, 2019, 8:25 am
#186
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
No, no way to extend your preferred seating benefits when you're in a different cabin.
Mar 12, 2019, 8:58 am
#187
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Baltimore/Washington, USA
Programs: AA LT Platinum, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 3,076
Any thoughts why Republic holds back on Elite upgrades until gate departure?
I should have cleared Sunday for a 2 day platinum upgrade for flight 4390 DCA-RDU on a E175 flight.
All 12 seats were open up until departure time.
The American check in agent said it this were the case on a mainline flight, it would have cleared Sunday.
I should have cleared Sunday for a 2 day platinum upgrade for flight 4390 DCA-RDU on a E175 flight.
All 12 seats were open up until departure time.
The American check in agent said it this were the case on a mainline flight, it would have cleared Sunday.
Mar 12, 2019, 9:03 am
#188
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO - AA PLT/2.98MM (Lifetime PLT), Delta PM, SPG Gold, AMEX Plat
Programs: TW Elite (RIP), CO OnePass
Posts: 1,923
Mar 12, 2019, 11:24 am
#189
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
Welcome to CSR 2019 (and many years earlier)
Mar 14, 2019, 3:22 pm
#191
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Mar 14, 2019, 8:50 pm
#192
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
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!
Mar 21, 2019, 7:58 pm
#193
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: EK Platinum, AA EXP, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,148
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!
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!
Mar 21, 2019, 9:50 pm
#194
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
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!
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!
Mar 22, 2019, 8:54 am
#195
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: EK Platinum, AA EXP, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,148
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.
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.