Feb 9, 2014, 4:19 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
AAdvantage Miles Upgrade Awards and options on other carriers
Only allowed on specific British Airways (BA) and Iberia (IB)fares
AADVANTAGE PARTICIPATING AIRLINES UPGRADE AWARDS (See: Mileage upgrades on British Airways and Iberia)
AAdvantage members may use AAdvantage miles to upgrade on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia flights*. Miles may be used to upgrade yourself or anyone you designate. And now, you can upgrade tickets booked by American Airlines (via Reservations or AA.com) as well as bookings made through a travel agency or other source.
Each one-way upgrade is valid up to three segments from an individual published full fare ticket per the chart below. Definitions of the eligible fare types are as follows:
Upgrade requests can be made when you make your initial reservation or after you have purchased your ticket, but must be made prior to checking in for your flight.
To request an upgrade award contact Reservations or visit an American Airlines Travel Center.Service charges may apply. If you have already purchased a ticket and you wish to use a mileage upgrade award, please have your reservation details available for our reservation agent.
*Includes travel on codeshare flights marketed by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia and operated by any of the three carriers.
Link to aa.com page with award chart, language, etc. (IMPORTANT TO READ IN ITS ENTIRETY)
As Microwave points out, AA must have some involvement with the ticket:
See post 338 for useful information.
updated 4 Sep 2016 by JDiver
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; may be printed by using the
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Only allowed on specific British Airways (BA) and Iberia (IB)fares
AADVANTAGE PARTICIPATING AIRLINES UPGRADE AWARDS (See: Mileage upgrades on British Airways and Iberia)
AAdvantage members may use AAdvantage miles to upgrade on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia flights*. Miles may be used to upgrade yourself or anyone you designate. And now, you can upgrade tickets booked by American Airlines (via Reservations or AA.com) as well as bookings made through a travel agency or other source.
Each one-way upgrade is valid up to three segments from an individual published full fare ticket per the chart below. Definitions of the eligible fare types are as follows:
- Full-Fare Economy with published fares booked in Y (excluding Military or Government fares) on American
- Full-Fare Economy with published fares booked in Y or B on British Airways or Iberia
- Premium Economy with published World Traveller Plus fares booked in W (unrestricted fares only) on British Airways. Doesn’t apply to Excursion fares.
- Full-Fare Club World Business with published fares booked in J, D or R on American and C, J, D or R on British Airways or Iberia
- British Airways flight must be coded BAxxx on the ticket (AA codeshare flights are not eligible for upgrades and must be converted / booked as BA prime flights)
- British Airways must operate the LONGEST SEGMENT on the itinerary to be eligible for an upgrade
Upgrade requests can be made when you make your initial reservation or after you have purchased your ticket, but must be made prior to checking in for your flight.
To request an upgrade award contact Reservations or visit an American Airlines Travel Center.Service charges may apply. If you have already purchased a ticket and you wish to use a mileage upgrade award, please have your reservation details available for our reservation agent.
*Includes travel on codeshare flights marketed by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia and operated by any of the three carriers.
Link to aa.com page with award chart, language, etc. (IMPORTANT TO READ IN ITS ENTIRETY)
As Microwave points out, AA must have some involvement with the ticket:
American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia flights or codeshare flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia are eligible. Reservations booked through a source other than American Airlines must include at least one flight with an American Airlines flight number in order to be eligible (includes codeshare flights operated by British Airways or Iberia but booked as an American Airlines flight number.)
updated 4 Sep 2016 by JDiver
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)
AA Partner Airline Upgrade Award - BA, IB, including codeshares (master thd)
Dec 26, 2017, 4:02 am
#646
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,595
i had a private fare with no change fees. I’ll stop by BA cust Service when I go back through lhr on Thursday. It makes no sense to me because they changed my earning from distance to fare but did not give me credit for the additional fare paid. I’ve had about enough of American - they are thee worst!
I have trouble seeing how AA is so bad
What was the reason for it being a distance based fare originally rather than fare based?
Last edited by Dave Noble; Dec 26, 2017 at 4:47 am
Dec 26, 2017, 4:32 am
#647
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Maybe if you actually did research on the aa web about how Miles credit with upgrades you wouldn’t be having so many problems and disappointed when the system works as it should.
With that said, if this was Ba, it is BA that submits the info to AA for posting so shouldn’t it be BA that you are upset with?
i had a private fare with no change fees. I’ll stop by BA cust Service when I go back through lhr on Thursday. It makes no sense to me because they changed my earning from distance to fare but did not give me credit for the additional fare paid. I’ve had about enough of American - they are thee worst!
With that said, if this was Ba, it is BA that submits the info to AA for posting so shouldn’t it be BA that you are upset with?
i had a private fare with no change fees. I’ll stop by BA cust Service when I go back through lhr on Thursday. It makes no sense to me because they changed my earning from distance to fare but did not give me credit for the additional fare paid. I’ve had about enough of American - they are thee worst!
Dec 26, 2017, 5:34 am
#648
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Starwood LP, Marriott P, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 19
It still sounds like you paid for an airport upgrade rather than paid the fare difference. If it was a private fare, then the airline would have referred back to the agency otherwise
I have trouble seeing how AA is so bad
What was the reason for it being a distance based fare originally rather than fare based?
I have trouble seeing how AA is so bad
What was the reason for it being a distance based fare originally rather than fare based?
My statement about aa being this worst was unnecessary as it’s unrelated. I actually expect to experience more hiccups because I fly a lot- but I’ve had an unusually high number of incidents, bad information, horrible customer svc experiences this year, more than all my 10 years of being ep combined.
I booked via Amex concierge/travel and was advised it was a private fare so there were no change fees. I changed originating airport and layover and only had to pay fare diff so this proved to be true. When asking about using miles to upgrade days prior to departure, the EP desk told me it was a special fare, contacted the rate desk, said not upgradeable etc.
it was originally a distance based fare per aa, which is why I expected diff eqd earning.
Dec 26, 2017, 11:45 am
#649
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
The AA site is clear that it has to be a W class booking on a BA marketed flight
■Premium Economy with published World Traveller Plus fares booked in W (unrestricted fares only) on British Airways. Doesn’t apply to Excursion fares.
W class on AA is not eligible to upgrade and has to be rebooked onto the BA flight number - BA uses more fare bases for PE than AA and only full fare converts to W class on BA
■Premium Economy with published World Traveller Plus fares booked in W (unrestricted fares only) on British Airways. Doesn’t apply to Excursion fares.
W class on AA is not eligible to upgrade and has to be rebooked onto the BA flight number - BA uses more fare bases for PE than AA and only full fare converts to W class on BA
The AA website is clear that W class is not an upgradeable class on a codeshare flight. It does not matter what it maps into on the BA prime flight. What determines the eligibility is the booking class on the marketing carrier. One must be originally booked on a BA prime flight number in order to upgrade from WTP to CW.
Last edited by Andriyko; Dec 26, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Dec 26, 2017, 12:18 pm
#650
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,595
The AA website is clear that W class is not an upgradeable class on a codeshare flight. It does not matter what it maps into on the BA prime flight. What determines the eligibility is the booking class on the marketing carrier. One must be originally booked on a BA prime flight number in order to upgrade from WTP to CW.
Only W class on a BA marketed flight is eligible for upgrading
It does however matter what it maps to - if it is booked on an AA flight number since a full fare AA codeshare can be rebooked onto W class on BA and then be eligible to upgrade
Dec 26, 2017, 1:40 pm
#651
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Yess... that is what I said
Only W class on a BA marketed flight is eligible for upgrading
It does however matter what it maps to - if it is booked on an AA flight number since a full fare AA codeshare can be rebooked onto W class on BA and then be eligible to upgrade
Only W class on a BA marketed flight is eligible for upgrading
It does however matter what it maps to - if it is booked on an AA flight number since a full fare AA codeshare can be rebooked onto W class on BA and then be eligible to upgrade
No, it does not matter what it maps into because if a flight is ineligible it stays ineligible. Rebooking onto the prime flight is part of the upgrade process for eligible booking classes. If R on an AA*BA flight is eligible it can map into I on a prime BA flight but that would not matter as the booking class on the AA flight determines eligibility. A passenger cannot just call and ask to convert an AA flight into a BA flight (unless they want to create a new fare and pay the associated fees and charges). Any conversion (for free as part of the upgrade process) will only take place if the booking class on the AA flight allows the upgrade. W on an AA*BA flight does not. But, again, a passenger is welcome to change the flight to a BA flight but that may involve paying additional fare and changes fees.
Dec 26, 2017, 1:54 pm
#652
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,595
No, it does not matter what it maps into because if a flight is ineligible it stays ineligible. Rebooking onto the prime flight is part of the upgrade process for eligible booking classes. If R on an AA*BA flight is eligible it can map into I on a prime BA flight but that would not matter as the booking class on the AA flight determines eligibility. A passenger cannot just call and ask to convert an AA flight into a BA flight (unless they want to create a new fare and pay the associated fees and charges). Any conversion (for free as part of the upgrade process) will only take place if the booking class on the AA flight allows the upgrade. W on an AA*BA flight does not. But, again, a passenger is welcome to change the flight to a BA flight but that may involve paying additional fare and changes fees.
If booked on an AA flight number on a full fare ticket , it is perfectly possible to phone and rebook onto a BA flight number for no cost
A full fare Premium Economy AA fare will rebook into W class on BA
Since it is only the full fare bookings for which upgrades from PE can be upgraded, there is almost no chance that there will be a change fee and slao v unlikely to be any change fee
Dec 26, 2017, 2:02 pm
#653
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Yes they can. BA and AA have a JV and AA allows travel on BA
If booked on an AA flight number on a full fare ticket , it is perfectly possible to phone and rebook onto a BA flight number for no cost
A full fare Premium Economy AA fare will rebook into W class on BA
Since it is only the full fare bookings for which upgrades from PE can be upgraded, there is almost no chance that there will be a change fee and slao v unlikely to be any change fee
If booked on an AA flight number on a full fare ticket , it is perfectly possible to phone and rebook onto a BA flight number for no cost
A full fare Premium Economy AA fare will rebook into W class on BA
Since it is only the full fare bookings for which upgrades from PE can be upgraded, there is almost no chance that there will be a change fee and slao v unlikely to be any change fee
Last edited by Andriyko; Dec 26, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Jan 18, 2018, 11:06 am
#654
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Jamison, PA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 288
Upgrade with AA miles on BA metal
Trying to do my research here, please bear with me. Looking to go PHL_GLA and would like to go through LHR on their 744.
I've checked on Expert Flyer for upgrade availability on the 744 on a few dates. I would be booking the Premium Economy fare on AA site and then look to upgrade to Club World with miles.
I called in to the AA Gold desk just now and at first the rep said, oh you can't do that, it's another airline! Anyway, after telling her what i was looking to do, I asked if she would be willing to look at upgrade chances on a particular flight. She said she couldn't do that without a record locator number. Yes, I could put it on hold and then call in--or is this a case of trying HUACA?
Another question for the group would be the surcharge into/out of LHR when upgrading with miles, does anyone know the ballpark figure?
Thanks for any and all help.
Please redirect to an existing thread if necessary.
I've checked on Expert Flyer for upgrade availability on the 744 on a few dates. I would be booking the Premium Economy fare on AA site and then look to upgrade to Club World with miles.
I called in to the AA Gold desk just now and at first the rep said, oh you can't do that, it's another airline! Anyway, after telling her what i was looking to do, I asked if she would be willing to look at upgrade chances on a particular flight. She said she couldn't do that without a record locator number. Yes, I could put it on hold and then call in--or is this a case of trying HUACA?
Another question for the group would be the surcharge into/out of LHR when upgrading with miles, does anyone know the ballpark figure?
Thanks for any and all help.
Please redirect to an existing thread if necessary.
Jan 18, 2018, 11:15 am
#655
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: DTW
Programs: AA EXP, Delta GM, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 159
I believe you can use AA miles on a AA codeshare flight that is operated by BA, however you have to purchase a full fare (Y) ticket to be eligible to use your miles.
Jan 18, 2018, 11:26 am
#656
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
You can only upgrade to CW from WTP if you book the flight under a prime BA flight number (no AA*BA codeshares) and that must be in full fare W booking class. It is often much cheaper to buy discounted business class than upgrade.
Jan 18, 2018, 11:46 am
#658
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
That has been my experience with booking BA. If you do so, be sure to get the AARP discount (they have no age restrictions, there is an associate membership along with the regular one). There is also a BA Chase Visa discount.
Otherwise, check Google flights, as booking through AY (Finnair) for BA/mixed flights can sometimes be less expensive. I recently flew JFK-HEL-SIN, SIN-HEL-LHR-JFK on AY in biz, with the last segment on BA, for much less than BA charges for JFK-LHR-JFK in biz. Sitting upstairs on the 747 was a fantastic experience (along with riding on newish A350s).
Otherwise, check Google flights, as booking through AY (Finnair) for BA/mixed flights can sometimes be less expensive. I recently flew JFK-HEL-SIN, SIN-HEL-LHR-JFK on AY in biz, with the last segment on BA, for much less than BA charges for JFK-LHR-JFK in biz. Sitting upstairs on the 747 was a fantastic experience (along with riding on newish A350s).
Jan 18, 2018, 1:52 pm
#660
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Plat Pro, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 193
If you book through the AA website, you can pull up flights with a BA flight #. It will usually be listed lower down the list than the same flight with the AA codeshare #. If you want to look for upgrade capacity, you can try and book through the BA website and see if any availability comes up. Be aware that they will release upgrade seats at just about anytime. They do not keep an upgrade list. If no seats are available, they just say nothing is available. Once something comes up, then you call AA and ask to do the upgrade. It'll probably take an hour or more on the phone getting it done (spoken from personal experience)