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)
May 11, 2017, 9:34 am
#572
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
Actually BA will typically (always?) allow you to pay for an upgrade from paid economy to premium economy, business, or first. The prices are not a bargain by any means in my experience though.
May 11, 2017, 10:54 am
#573
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
You might want to check the AUP (Airport Upgrade) thread on the BA forum to see price history on routes and notes about how to request one.
May 11, 2017, 11:14 am
#574
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
May 11, 2017, 11:27 am
#575
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,646
If the upgrade is requested/offered AT the airport, that doesn't matter.
The BA forum has information about the cost of upgrades at the airport.
As far as "HOW" it is as easy as approaching the check-in counter and ask "Is it possible to upgrade?".
As far as email or online check-in upgrade for cash offers, IME, that is only possible if ticketed by BA.
The BA forum has information about the cost of upgrades at the airport.
As far as "HOW" it is as easy as approaching the check-in counter and ask "Is it possible to upgrade?".
As far as email or online check-in upgrade for cash offers, IME, that is only possible if ticketed by BA.
May 11, 2017, 1:33 pm
#576
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
You cannot upgrade upgrade with AA miles because it is a BA-operated flight and you have a discount economy ticket; whether it is AA codeshare or not does not matter.
You can certainly pay BA the full fare difference, or upgrade with Avios, if there is a seat in the higher class available for doing that; I don't think it's being an AA codeshare matters.
As noted, it doesn't hurt to ask / look for at the airport about getting an upgrade for fewer $; it may or may not work.
You can certainly pay BA the full fare difference, or upgrade with Avios, if there is a seat in the higher class available for doing that; I don't think it's being an AA codeshare matters.
As noted, it doesn't hurt to ask / look for at the airport about getting an upgrade for fewer $; it may or may not work.
May 12, 2017, 1:46 am
#577
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
One can do neither of those things if it is an AA codeshare and AA ticket.
May 12, 2017, 2:44 am
#578
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,046
BTW Regardless of how it's coded
AA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
BA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
Or IB marketed as AA, BA, or IB
can be upgraded using AA/BA/IB miles if it is in a high enough fare class depending on who is marketing the flight.
May 12, 2017, 3:14 am
#579
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Can pay to upgrade to an eligible fare class.
BTW Regardless of how it's coded
AA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
BA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
Or IB marketed as AA, BA, or IB
can be upgraded using AA/BA/IB miles if it is in a high enough fare class depending on who is marketing the flight.
BTW Regardless of how it's coded
AA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
BA marketed as AA, BA, or IB,
Or IB marketed as AA, BA, or IB
can be upgraded using AA/BA/IB miles if it is in a high enough fare class depending on who is marketing the flight.
May 12, 2017, 7:19 am
#580
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,046
So we can do the above but Avois needs it to be a prime flight? One more reason to stay away from BA for me.
May 12, 2017, 12:43 pm
#581
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
May 12, 2017, 1:05 pm
#582
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Well, no. AA flights can also be upgraded with Avios from certain booking classes, but they must be booked under prime AA flight numbers. One can upgrade codeshare flights with AA miles but that's no longer the case with Avios unfortunately.
May 12, 2017, 1:32 pm
#583
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Wow . It would be nice if we could lay out these rules cleanly in the wiki.
May 12, 2017, 1:49 pm
#584
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
I don't see why confusion be added to the wiki by going into what can be done using avios; use of avios is something for the BA forum
The rules for upgrades using AA award miles are fairly clearly defined on aa.com
The rules for upgrades using AA award miles are fairly clearly defined on aa.com
May 12, 2017, 6:35 pm
#585
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811