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
(lower right wiki corner)
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 24, 2017, 4:02 pm
#633
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 75
Got rejected twice for an AA codeshare on BA metal upgrade from Premium Economy to Business, and got extremely confused between the phone AAgents (who said it was impossible) & the Twitter folks (who said it was possible). After reading this thread, I *think* I have an understanding of why, but wanted to check with the experts here.
Booked RDU-LHR-IST-LHR-PHL-RDU through AA (held reservation online & paid at an airport counter since using a voucher).
First and last legs are on AA metal. The middle three are AA codeshares on BA metal. I'm in business on the outbound (I for both), economy IST-LHR, premium economy LHR-PHL, and economy PHL-RDU.
The LHR-PHL leg is listed as W class by AA on my ticket & when I purchased. But when I look at my reservation on BA, it says the selling class is E.
I'm assuming the E class on BA is why I can't upgrade? Or am I missing something and should I keep HUCA-ing until someone can figure it out?
Booked RDU-LHR-IST-LHR-PHL-RDU through AA (held reservation online & paid at an airport counter since using a voucher).
First and last legs are on AA metal. The middle three are AA codeshares on BA metal. I'm in business on the outbound (I for both), economy IST-LHR, premium economy LHR-PHL, and economy PHL-RDU.
The LHR-PHL leg is listed as W class by AA on my ticket & when I purchased. But when I look at my reservation on BA, it says the selling class is E.
I'm assuming the E class on BA is why I can't upgrade? Or am I missing something and should I keep HUCA-ing until someone can figure it out?
Dec 24, 2017, 5:16 pm
#634
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
...
The LHR-PHL leg is listed as W class by AA on my ticket & when I purchased. But when I look at my reservation on BA, it says the selling class is E.
I'm assuming the E class on BA is why I can't upgrade? Or am I missing something and should I keep HUCA-ing until someone can figure it out?
The LHR-PHL leg is listed as W class by AA on my ticket & when I purchased. But when I look at my reservation on BA, it says the selling class is E.
I'm assuming the E class on BA is why I can't upgrade? Or am I missing something and should I keep HUCA-ing until someone can figure it out?
If CW is not full then you should be able to get an AUP (airport upgrade) for cash at the airport, but it could cost $500-$700.
Dec 24, 2017, 7:23 pm
#636
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Unfortunately, booked in E on BA makes it ineligible for this kind of upgrade - which requires a W fare (explained in the Wikipost at the top of the page). These things are theoretically available, but they seem to be as common as the Golden Fleece.
Dec 24, 2017, 7:36 pm
#637
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 75
Oh, well. I'll have to figure out some other way to get a ride upstairs on a 747.
Dec 24, 2017, 9:57 pm
#638
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Agreed. The supervisor with whom I spoke said he'd pass something on in his report that the website shouldn't list availability for premium economy, but it sounds like this wasn't the first time AA has heard of the problem.
Oh, well. I'll have to figure out some other way to get a ride upstairs on a 747.
Oh, well. I'll have to figure out some other way to get a ride upstairs on a 747.
■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
There is nothing wrong with the website and upgrades can be done - when booked on an eligible fare, I have had no issue getting an upgrade on BA processed
Dec 24, 2017, 10:59 pm
#639
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Starwood LP, Marriott P, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 19
Jipped
Yes, probably, because even a Business fare on a BA# earns at 1.5 EQM.
In my experience, with Avios upgrades on BA flights from WT+ to J, I have earned American EQMs and EQDs as a J (fare class I) passenger.
I think it will be interesting to see how your flights post (distance or fare, and if fare, which fare).
In my experience, with Avios upgrades on BA flights from WT+ to J, I have earned American EQMs and EQDs as a J (fare class I) passenger.
I think it will be interesting to see how your flights post (distance or fare, and if fare, which fare).
ive written AAdvantage customer service, but received no response. I want my mileage and EQD credit, any reccomendations on how / with whom I need to fix this?
Dec 24, 2017, 11:11 pm
#640
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
I flew AA marketed PE on BA metal and upgraded at the airport. (You guys were spot on with the cost BTW). So I went from W to J, I saw the change in my AA app, I screenshot it for boarding, and later its reflected that I only flew in W.
ive written AAdvantage customer service, but received no response. I want my mileage and EQD credit, any reccomendations on how / with whom I need to fix this?
Unless the fare difference was paid , then there is no extra miles or EQD due
Dec 25, 2017, 7:03 am
#641
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Starwood LP, Marriott P, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 19
I’m not sure if the ticket was “reissued” but I did pay for a “move from W to J,” per the customer service person at the desk. No miles were involved.
Dec 25, 2017, 12:36 pm
#642
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
It sounds like you probably paid for an upgrade at the airport rather than paid change fees plus fare difference - in such a situation, the original class of travel is still what is due
Dec 25, 2017, 11:00 pm
#643
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
What Dave Noble says may technically be true, but many of us on here have experienced the opposite - all my AUPs on BA flights have earned as I fares (Business class) on BA. However, this doesn't makes any great difference since the EQM earning is 1.5 for both and RDMs and EQDs only vary by about 2-3% of miles flown.
Dec 25, 2017, 11:30 pm
#644
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
What Dave Noble says may technically be true, but many of us on here have experienced the opposite - all my AUPs on BA flights have earned as I fares (Business class) on BA. However, this doesn't makes any great difference since the EQM earning is 1.5 for both and RDMs and EQDs only vary by about 2-3% of miles flown.
When they do credit correctly, then that is life and there is no entitlement to the extra miles
e.g. I have seem BA 1st class redemption bookings credit as paid 1st class - but that doesn't make it the correct earning
Dec 26, 2017, 2:43 am
#645
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Starwood LP, Marriott P, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 19
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!