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FAQ: Miles + Copay Upgrade / Upgrades (master thread)

Old Jul 28, 2015, 12:06 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
Mileage and copayment upgrades on American Airlines

As of May 20, 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
  1. Elite status
    1. Concierge Key
      • Executive Platinum
        • Platinum Pro
          • Platinum
            • Gold
    • Upgrade type
      1. Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
        • 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets (including EXP complimentary UDU)
          • 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards (including EXP complimentary UDU)
      • Elite qualifying dollars* in the past 12 months
        • Booking class (in order, J, D, I, W, P, Y, H, K, M, L, V, G, S, N, Q, O, T)
          • Time of request


Enjoy a higher cabin of service Link.

Use your AAdvantage miles to upgrade on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle for yourself or anyone you designate.

Upgrades are valid to the next cabin of service* and are valid for a single one-way trip with a maximum of three segments. Upgrades are subject to capacity controls. Excluding award tickets, the following eligible fare types can be upgraded:
  • Discount Economy with published fares booked in H,K,M,L,W,V,G,Q,N,O,S and
    • Military or Government fares booked in Y
      • Full-Fare Economy with published fares booked in Y
        • Discount Premium Economy with published fares booked in P
          • Full-Fare Premium Economy with published fares booked in W
            • Discount Business with published fares booked in I
              • Full-Fare Business with published fares booked in J, D or R
                • Basic Economy fares booked in B are not upgradable

*E.g. Economy to Business, Business to three class First. At this time Premium Economy is treated as Economy for upgrade purposes.

See the chart here for cost in miles and dollars.

NOTE: The most expensive fare classes, full fare Economy Y, full fare Premium Economy W, and full fare Business J, may be upgraded without copay and at a lower cost in miles. See here.

Taxes and carrier-imposed fees:

Co-payment is non-refundable and inclusive of U.S. excise tax where applicable.

Mileage upgrade award tickets are subject to applicable taxes and security fees and may incur additional taxes as a result of upgrading to a higher class cabin (includes higher U.K. Air Passenger Duty If Flight originates in the UK or is a connecting flight with a connection time of 24:00 or more)..)
  • Upgrading from Economy Class to Business Class or First Class may result in additional premium cabin taxes and carrier-imposed fees, including but not limited to flights originating in Great Britain and France.
    • If the ticket is priced in USD, the additional taxes and carrier-imposed fees will be converted to USD at the time of ticketing.
      • Please contact American Airlines Reservations to obtain applicable taxes and carrier-imposed fees for specific itineraries.


NOTE:

Miles and copay upgrades are to the next available cabin of service, are based on inventory being available, usable on AA marketed and operated flights (not codeshares operated by other airlines, not on other airlines' prime flights - BA and IB allow miles upgrades with AA miles but are very different and therefore not treated here).

See AA Participating Airline Upgrade Award - BA, IB, including codeshares (master thd), and note one class of service means Y to PE, PE to J, J to F where available on BA.

If the required inventory exists, they can be booked positively (i.e. upgraded immediately); if not, the request is wait listed. Wait list clearance is by status (EXP highest, no status lowest), and within status priority is by rolling 12 month EQD spend. Elites can have one traveling companion on the same PNR "borrow" their status for upgrade wait list purposes, until the request goes to the airport list, where you may want to assure your travel companion continues to hold your borrowed status for upgrade purposes.

Copays are waived for CK on all flights.
Frequently Asked Questions / FAQ:

Q. It says the upgrade fees are nonrefundable. Do I lose my miles and money if I'm not upgraded?

If your upgrade request does not go through, miles and copay are in fact refunded.

Q. If I am waitlisted, in what priority order are upgrades processed?

Upgrades are processed first by AAdvantage status tier, secondarily by type of upgrade, thirdly by the previous rolling 12 month EQD spend.

Q. Which has higher priority if all other preceding factors are the same? An upgraded with miles + copay, or an upgraded with SWU?

They have equal priority. A few reports state copay + upgrade have been given priority at some overseas stations.

Q. How soon will I know if my upgrade came through?

It can happen anytime inventory opens, from the time you book until the time you board. (Your request, including date and time of request, should carry over automatically to the airport list.)

Q. How soon will I know if my upgrade came through?

It can happen anytime inventory opens, from the time you book until the time you board. (Your request, including date and time of request, should carry over automatically to the airport list.)

Q. What happens to my booked seat whilst I'm waitlisted? If my upgrade doesn't come through, do I lose my reserved seat?

You normally retain your booked seat until (if) your upgrade comes through.

Q. How many flights can I upgrade with a single miles plus copay upgrade?

You may (assuming available inventory) upgrade up to three segments on the same ticketed itinerary (e.g. LHR-ORD-MIA-EZE, as long as they are on the same PNR).

Q. Can I look at AAnytime or MileSAAver award space to determine upgrade availability?

No. MileSAAver availability may be a good indication upgrade space may become available, but SAAver and upgrade inventories are separate.

Q. What fare inventory do I need to upgrade?

You need available "C" inventory to upgrade to two class domestic First and three class Business, "A" to three class First. These are not shown on aa.com, but some services (e.g. ExpertFlyer) do show them. The only way to reliably search for upgrade space on Expertflyer or other services is segment by segment. The reason for this is that by rule if C is available on the stand alone segment then the upgrade is allowed.

Q. I'm Executive Platinum. If I purchase an upgrade for someone without status, will they "borrow" my status for upgrade purposes?

They will if they are flying as your single traveling companion on the same flights. Otherwise, their status will determine their position on the upgrade wait list. This "borrowed" status was previously lost once the flight has gone to airport control; it doesnt now, but it pays to check and see if it has been mismanaged by software - it can be restored when it has passed to airport control.

Q. Which miles earning and fare conditions will apply to my upgraded flights?

You will earn miles (award miles -- RDM -- and EQM) and EQ Dollars credit as determined by your originally purchased fare, and the applicable fare rules will also be determined by your originally purchased fare.

Older posts can be read in ARCHIVE: FAQ: Miles + Copay Upgrade / Upgrades (consolidated)





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FAQ: Miles + Copay Upgrade / Upgrades (master thread)

Old Mar 24, 2019, 3:49 pm
  #646  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
I have a round trip LAX-LHR booked in PE that I’d like to submit for a miles + copay upgrade to J. Can I request that the outbound be pulled from my wife’s account (outbound is in W, so only 30K miles needed for both of us) and the return comefrom my account? I’m PPRO and my wife is PLAT, so do we get to keep my status should C space show up between now and the flight going to airport control if we have the miles scheduled to come from her account?

Thanks in advance.
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Old Mar 24, 2019, 4:15 pm
  #647  
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Originally Posted by Reetmafreen
I have a round trip LAX-LHR booked in PE that Id like to submit for a miles + copay upgrade to J. Can I request that the outbound be pulled from my wifes account (outbound is in W, so only 30K miles needed for both of us) and the return comefrom my account? Im PPRO and my wife is PLAT, so do we get to keep my status should C space show up between now and the flight going to airport control if we have the miles scheduled to come from her account?

Thanks in advance.
Yes, that is whay we have done in the past.
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Old Mar 24, 2019, 10:08 pm
  #648  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Yes, that is whay we have done in the past.
Thanks. I just called in knowing that what I wanted was possible and the super friendly agent explained that they had to process the mileage upgrades seperately for each direction, so it was no trouble to set the miles to come out of my wifes account on the outbound and from my account on the return should the stars align and C space show up.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:20 am
  #649  
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Originally Posted by Reetmafreen


Thanks. I just called in knowing that what I wanted was possible and the super friendly agent explained that they had to process the mileage upgrades seperately for each direction, so it was no trouble to set the miles to come out of my wifes account on the outbound and from my account on the return should the stars align and C space show up.
Just get to the airport early enough, I could no check in for our PHL-DUB flight, at the airport there was an a slight issue, which took 45 minutes to get it taken care of, in the end, we had our boarding passes all the way to DUB.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 4:06 pm
  #650  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Just get to the airport early enough, I could no check in for our PHL-DUB flight, at the airport there was an a slight issue, which took 45 minutes to get it taken care of, in the end, we had our boarding passes all the way to DUB.
Getting to the airport early was always part of the plan. My green card expires next month and the trip isnt until June, but I already have the 1 year extension sticker on the green card as part of the renewal process. (You cant begin to renew a green card until 6 months before its due to expire, but current processing times are as long as 11 months). I figured getting there early should give me a little more time, should AA have concerns about the validity of the green card.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 10:00 pm
  #651  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SLC
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium + LT Gold
Posts: 198
I'm flying SLC-LAX-HKG next week. SLC-LAX is booked as Y and the LAX-HKG leg is W. I requested an award upgrade for only the LAX-HKG leg of the flight for 15K miles (no cash copay). I have a couple of questions:

1. When I called to request for the award upgrade, I was given the choice to upgrade both segments or just one segment. I was told if I request upgrade for both segments and was only given an upgrade for 1/2, it would still cost 15K miles. So basically if I cleared upgrade on the SLC-LAX leg but not LAX-HKG, I would still lose the 15K miles. Is that right? This is my first time using award upgrades, so just wanted to understand the program.

2. My request for LAX-HKG was put in about a month and a half ago right after booking the flight. Currently, half of the business cabin is empty. What are my chances of clearing the upgrade for this flight?

3. I do not have my return flight yet, but is thinking to book one with an AA codeshare on CX or JL metal. I am assuming the award upgrade doesn't apply on codeshares?

Thanks!
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:12 am
  #652  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
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Posts: 8,267
Originally Posted by festriaqua
I'm flying SLC-LAX-HKG next week. SLC-LAX is booked as Y and the LAX-HKG leg is W. I requested an award upgrade for only the LAX-HKG leg of the flight for 15K miles (no cash copay). I have a couple of questions:

1. When I called to request for the award upgrade, I was given the choice to upgrade both segments or just one segment. I was told if I request upgrade for both segments and was only given an upgrade for 1/2, it would still cost 15K miles. So basically if I cleared upgrade on the SLC-LAX leg but not LAX-HKG, I would still lose the 15K miles. Is that right? This is my first time using award upgrades, so just wanted to understand the program.

2. My request for LAX-HKG was put in about a month and a half ago right after booking the flight. Currently, half of the business cabin is empty. What are my chances of clearing the upgrade for this flight?

3. I do not have my return flight yet, but is thinking to book one with an AA codeshare on CX or JL metal. I am assuming the award upgrade doesn't apply on codeshares?

Thanks!
#1 yes, you got good advice.
#2 don't know, there's a separate thread on that flight which might be more helpful
#3 correct
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Old Apr 17, 2019, 3:42 pm
  #653  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SE Wisconsin
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond for Life
Posts: 337
Originally Posted by Beachfun71
Just requested my first miles + copay upgrade for my outbound flight, ORD->LAX->SYD, in late April. I am PPro, with a decent rolling EQD, and my purchased itinerary is in premium economy, with the domestic leg in Y, and the international leg in P.

I understand from what Ive read that there is a low chance of the LAX->SYD upgrade clearing, but I figured I would try anyway.

My question is more about the domestic leg. ORD->LAX is still a decent ride, and Id like to be up front if I can. When I requested the upgraded, the agent said he would remove the complimentary upgrade request. He said this would prevent an error later. So, I understand that the upgrade instrument will put me higher on the list, but... if the international leg does not clear, does that mean I am automatically excluded from the domestic upgrade?
As follow-up, my long haul cleared 30 hours out. Still waiting to see about the domestic leg, but it does not look likely.
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Old Apr 17, 2019, 4:16 pm
  #654  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: GCM, formerly DFW
Programs: AA Exp
Posts: 269
I couldn't find the answer anywhere, but if I upgrade using miles + copay does the EQD/EQM/EQS stay the same as the originally booked ticket, or does it come out at a higher rate like PE would, for example.
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Old Apr 17, 2019, 4:28 pm
  #655  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,914
Originally Posted by bscooter26
I couldn't find the answer anywhere, but if I upgrade using miles + copay does the EQD/EQM/EQS stay the same as the originally booked ticket, or does it come out at a higher rate like PE would, for example.
You get credit for what you originally purchased unless you pay the fare difference for the upgrade (upfare).
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Old Apr 30, 2019, 8:12 am
  #656  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 71
Quick question; I am booked in Economy ONT-DFW-TPA. I have no status and would like to use 15,000 miles plus $75 for an upgrade.

Does AA charge $75 for each leg or $75 for the entire trip?

Thanks.
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Old Apr 30, 2019, 8:18 am
  #657  
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Originally Posted by TipsyMcStagger
Quick question; I am booked in Economy ONT-DFW-TPA. I have no status and would like to use 15,000 miles plus $75 for an upgrade.

Does AA charge $75 for each leg or $75 for the entire trip?

Thanks.
the miles copay applies for up to 3 segments. So 15k miles plus 75 will cover ONT-DFW and DFW-TPA
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Old Apr 30, 2019, 8:19 am
  #658  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 71
Originally Posted by Antarius
the miles copay applies for up to 3 segments. So 15k miles plus 75 will cover ONT-DFW and DFW-TPA
Great. Thanks.
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Old May 2, 2019, 1:58 pm
  #659  
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Originally Posted by TipsyMcStagger
Quick question; I am booked in Economy ONT-DFW-TPA. I have no status and would like to use 15,000 miles plus $75 for an upgrade.

Does AA charge $75 for each leg or $75 for the entire trip?

Thanks.
While the $75 is for the entire trip if upgrades are available for the entire trip, upgrades may not be available on both legs at the same time, and you have to decide whether to take each leg upgrade at a time (being charged the $75 and 15000 miles for the first leg that's upgraded), with no guarantee that the second leg will be upgraded.

If you are more interested in the upgrade on one leg than the other leg, you can specify which leg you want upgraded first (and the other leg won't upgraded until the first one is).
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Old May 11, 2019, 9:40 am
  #660  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 289
Is C the Class of inventory that I need to look for when using mileages for an international upgrade?
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