Dec 7, 2012, 7:35 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Load Factor Based Upgrades (LFBU) and Day Of Departure Upgrades (DODU)
These generally relate to Non-elite, space-available, kiosk, online and counter upgrades which may be available close to departure if there is unused (after sales and pending upgrades) inventory once the flight has passed to airport control; these are available for payment (normally, credit card).
• On line check in offers may be made at the time of check-in, including with the AA app.
• Kiosk-based LFBUs may be offered at the Self-Service (Check-in) Machines ("kiosk") (and occasionally with online check-in) if there are seats available - as per the AA wording and the FAQ (see first post). One may be offered a LFBU on an award ticket.
• Counter Upgrades may be offered at the ticket counter or Admirals Club in the USA or at non-stateside locations on occasion, usually announced by a small sign visible to passengers checking in at the ticket counter or Club. They may be offered (or not) and may cost as much as $750 (or more) for a longhaul transocean flight.
As per other upgrades, one earns miles / points at the level of the originally purchased fare.
Older posts have been archived here.
These generally relate to Non-elite, space-available, kiosk, online and counter upgrades which may be available close to departure if there is unused (after sales and pending upgrades) inventory once the flight has passed to airport control; these are available for payment (normally, credit card).
• On line check in offers may be made at the time of check-in, including with the AA app.
• Kiosk-based LFBUs may be offered at the Self-Service (Check-in) Machines ("kiosk") (and occasionally with online check-in) if there are seats available - as per the AA wording and the FAQ (see first post). One may be offered a LFBU on an award ticket.
• Counter Upgrades may be offered at the ticket counter or Admirals Club in the USA or at non-stateside locations on occasion, usually announced by a small sign visible to passengers checking in at the ticket counter or Club. They may be offered (or not) and may cost as much as $750 (or more) for a longhaul transocean flight.
As per other upgrades, one earns miles / points at the level of the originally purchased fare.
Older posts have been archived here.
DOD / DODU (LFBU) Space-available, counter, kiosk, and online upgrade (master thd)
Feb 21, 2017, 4:22 pm
#196
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As you'll be doing OLCI on the AY web site, you won't be offered a Cash LMU if there are seats in J open on the JFK-LAX flight. You can't use AY miles to upgrade, though you could purchase AA 500-mile upgrade credits -- you'll need 5 of them -- to put in your AA account. In that case, you can log into the AA site and pull up your booking. You'd have to change you FF number to your AA account. There should be a box where you can request an upgrade. That will put you on the wait list. If you clear, you can go through with the purchase of eUpgrade credits at the gate. (If you can't make this change and request online, call AA to set the upgrade request up on that segment.)
However, the demand for J on these routes is quite high and you'd be behind any AA EXP (and other tiers) and your OW Emerald status wouldn't give you any priority (this wouldn't matter as you'd have to draw the upgrade credits from a non-status AA account). So unless your flight is before the end of this month, your only method would be checking with AA when you get through immigration/customs at JFK to see if there are any LMUs left to be sold on your flight.
If it's this month, you might check out the thread here offering the use of an expiring SWU. That person could contact AA with your flight details and put you on the waitlist (it certainly wouldn't clear until shortly before boarding) and sponsor you.
Any way, it's going to be a long shot unless you're flying on a early Saturday or Sunday morning, the two lightest business travel periods when J is likely to have lots of open seats.
However, the demand for J on these routes is quite high and you'd be behind any AA EXP (and other tiers) and your OW Emerald status wouldn't give you any priority (this wouldn't matter as you'd have to draw the upgrade credits from a non-status AA account). So unless your flight is before the end of this month, your only method would be checking with AA when you get through immigration/customs at JFK to see if there are any LMUs left to be sold on your flight.
If it's this month, you might check out the thread here offering the use of an expiring SWU. That person could contact AA with your flight details and put you on the waitlist (it certainly wouldn't clear until shortly before boarding) and sponsor you.
Any way, it's going to be a long shot unless you're flying on a early Saturday or Sunday morning, the two lightest business travel periods when J is likely to have lots of open seats.
Last edited by Shareholder; Feb 21, 2017 at 4:28 pm
Feb 21, 2017, 4:24 pm
#197
Join Date: Aug 2008
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JFK-LAX is a premium route and most likely a lot of people typically buy the BUS/FIR class ticket outright. The only chance you could potentially buy it will either be upon check in at the kiosk on JFK if they offer the opportunity to buy up to BUS/FIR or see if AA can offer the buy up difference separately. This is not an easy upgrade to score.
Most likely you have an AY ticket, what is the JFK-LAX flight #, is it a AY # or an AA #?
Most likely you have an AY ticket, what is the JFK-LAX flight #, is it a AY # or an AA #?
Feb 21, 2017, 4:59 pm
#198
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Chicago
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As you'll be doing OLCI on the AY web site, you won't be offered a Cash LMU if there are seats in J open on the JFK-LAX flight. You can't use AY miles to upgrade, though you could purchase AA 500-mile upgrade credits -- you'll need 5 of them -- to put in your AA account. In that case, you can log into the AA site and pull up your booking. You'd have to change you FF number to your AA account. There should be a box where you can request an upgrade. That will put you on the wait list. If you clear, you can go through with the purchase of eUpgrade credits at the gate. (If you can't make this change and request online, call AA to set the upgrade request up on that segment.)
From the AA Terms and Conditions
Non elite status members may only upgrade when they are traveling as the companion to an elite status member.
Feb 21, 2017, 5:27 pm
#199
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Feb 21, 2017, 6:56 pm
#200
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat, OWE
Posts: 132
JFK-LAX is a premium route and most likely a lot of people typically buy the BUS/FIR class ticket outright. The only chance you could potentially buy it will either be upon check in at the kiosk on JFK if they offer the opportunity to buy up to BUS/FIR or see if AA can offer the buy up difference separately. This is not an easy upgrade to score.
Most likely you have an AY ticket, what is the JFK-LAX flight #, is it a AY # or an AA #?
Most likely you have an AY ticket, what is the JFK-LAX flight #, is it a AY # or an AA #?
I'll just ask at JFK
I'm just interested to see if I'd get the upgrade for a few hundred, I did manage way back to buy a cross atlantic upgrade from the gate on AA, for 500 USD, and I suppose that JFK-LAX would be way less
Feb 21, 2017, 7:06 pm
#201
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Your best bet would probably be to try at an AA kiosk at JFK. You should be able to pull up the reservation with your AA record locator, and there's a slim chance (probably zero on that route) that you'd be offered an upgrade.
I've had non-status companions offered upgrades on SDF-DCA for $55, DCA-DFW for $165, and EZE-DFW for $550. But in all of those cases, there were empty seats in J even after all the elites seeking upgrades had been cleared. And on SFO/LAX-JFK I don't think you're going to have a situation where the entire elite list clears unless you're very lucky.
Feb 23, 2017, 3:36 pm
#202
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New York City
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AA EQD AND EQM with JL Codeshares
I am booked on a JL flight under the AA Codeshare. If I pay the 30,000 Yen to upgrade to Premium Economy, would that reset the EQM to 1.5 EQM for W class on a NRT-ORD Flight. I was also wondering would that somehow increase the EQD for the flight, too? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am not sure the upgrade is worth it to me if I do not get the EQM boost or EQD boost.
Feb 23, 2017, 3:44 pm
#203
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
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I am booked on a JL flight under the AA Codeshare. If I pay the 30,000 Yen to upgrade to Premium Economy, would that reset the EQM to 1.5 EQM for W class on a NRT-ORD Flight. I was also wondering would that somehow increase the EQD for the flight, too? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am not sure the upgrade is worth it to me if I do not get the EQM boost or EQD boost.
Apr 5, 2017, 6:39 pm
#204
Join Date: Jan 2015
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Does anyone have any recent data points ex-LHR, specifically for LHR-ORD?
Also, is it the case in LHR too that the kiosks are more likely to offer this than the check in desks?
Also, is it the case in LHR too that the kiosks are more likely to offer this than the check in desks?
Apr 5, 2017, 10:07 pm
#205
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 47
HKG-LAX on 4/3/17:
Online check-in upgrade offer from Y to J was $775 at T-20.
Kiosk had the same offer ($775) at T-6.
One guy used copay+miles to upgrade at the gate at T-1.
At about T-0.5, a whole bunch of non-revs were very happy because they cleared standby into the 4 F and 12 J seats that were left.
Online check-in upgrade offer from Y to J was $775 at T-20.
Kiosk had the same offer ($775) at T-6.
One guy used copay+miles to upgrade at the gate at T-1.
At about T-0.5, a whole bunch of non-revs were very happy because they cleared standby into the 4 F and 12 J seats that were left.
Apr 6, 2017, 6:55 pm
#208
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The usual price is $45 per 500 miles, as noted in the wiki, but lately there have been a few reports this jumping to $55.
Apr 7, 2017, 5:02 am
#210
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,592
HKG-LAX on 4/3/17:
Online check-in upgrade offer from Y to J was $775 at T-20.
Kiosk had the same offer ($775) at T-6.
One guy used copay+miles to upgrade at the gate at T-1.
At about T-0.5, a whole bunch of non-revs were very happy because they cleared standby into the 4 F and 12 J seats that were left.
Online check-in upgrade offer from Y to J was $775 at T-20.
Kiosk had the same offer ($775) at T-6.
One guy used copay+miles to upgrade at the gate at T-1.
At about T-0.5, a whole bunch of non-revs were very happy because they cleared standby into the 4 F and 12 J seats that were left.