Mar 5, 2015, 10:12 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
A321T / 321T / Transcontinental JFK to/from LAX & SFO: Upgrade Success & Assistance
American flies the transcontinental A321T with three classes including solo First and Business pairs that fully recline horizontally. (Note the "32B" designation applies to all Airbus A321-100 and -200 - aircraft with "Sharklets" blended winglets in accord with ICAO standards, including two and three class A321s used by AA.)
It appears demand in J is high, supply less so, making this a tricky upgrade from coach to business. First sometimes looks like there’s good availability until close to departure, and it’s common that this cabin is filled deadheading.
Upgrading is challenging, and Y to J SWU or miles + copay always trumps 500 mile or DODU / courtesy upgrades within an elite tier. (500 mile and courtesy upgrades from Business to First is not allowed).
Remember, upgrade priority for these flights is:
*Y to C/J only; C to F not allowed
Cabins will generally not be “rolled” forward (e.g. J to F) to accommodate upgrades.
Those confirmed in Flagship First on these (between JFK and LAX or SFO) can access Flagship Lounges as well as Flagship First Dining at JFK or LAX, or the Admirals Club at SFO (or the LAX TBIT Qantas First lounge).
Related threads:
Aircraft guide: Which Airbus A321? (including “321”, “32B”, A321neo)
A321 Transcon / A321T / "32B" 3 class began service Jan 2014 (consolidated)
Best Business / First seat on AA transcon Airbus A321 / A321T / "32B" (consolidated)
Best Economy / MCE seat on AA transcon Airbus A321 / A321T / 32B (consolidated)
Posts from 2014 through 2016 have been archived, and may be read here.
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; wiki contents may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)
American flies the transcontinental A321T with three classes including solo First and Business pairs that fully recline horizontally. (Note the "32B" designation applies to all Airbus A321-100 and -200 - aircraft with "Sharklets" blended winglets in accord with ICAO standards, including two and three class A321s used by AA.)
It appears demand in J is high, supply less so, making this a tricky upgrade from coach to business. First sometimes looks like there’s good availability until close to departure, and it’s common that this cabin is filled deadheading.
Upgrading is challenging, and Y to J SWU or miles + copay always trumps 500 mile or DODU / courtesy upgrades within an elite tier. (500 mile and courtesy upgrades from Business to First is not allowed).
Remember, upgrade priority for these flights is:
- Elite status tier
- SWU & miles and copay
- Business Extra and “special corporate agency upgrade certificates”
- 500 mile (“stickers”) and complimentary / DODU upgrades*
- Award upgrades (CK, EXP, PRO)*
- Last 12 months’ rolling EQD spend
- Etc.
*Y to C/J only; C to F not allowed
Cabins will generally not be “rolled” forward (e.g. J to F) to accommodate upgrades.
Those confirmed in Flagship First on these (between JFK and LAX or SFO) can access Flagship Lounges as well as Flagship First Dining at JFK or LAX, or the Admirals Club at SFO (or the LAX TBIT Qantas First lounge).
Related threads:
Aircraft guide: Which Airbus A321? (including “321”, “32B”, A321neo)
A321 Transcon / A321T / "32B" 3 class began service Jan 2014 (consolidated)
Best Business / First seat on AA transcon Airbus A321 / A321T / "32B" (consolidated)
Best Economy / MCE seat on AA transcon Airbus A321 / A321T / 32B (consolidated)
Posts from 2014 through 2016 have been archived, and may be read here.
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; wiki contents may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)
Airbus A321T / 321T “32B” Transcon JFK <--> LAX / SFO Upgrade Success / Help
Jan 20, 2019, 12:12 pm
#257
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Jan 21, 2019, 3:52 am
#259
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
Jan 21, 2019, 6:50 am
#260
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,449
However, before the gate, especially within the sticker/complimentary upgrade windows, it might be more of a tossup, as I and others have been discussing here: Domestic/e500 flights: R published before C?. Comes down to how and when AA chooses to publish inventory for instrument upgrades (C) vs sticker/complimentary upgrades (R). So you might well find yourself losing out if AA publishes R before it publishes C, contrary to how it's supposed to work at the airport/gate.
Jan 21, 2019, 11:43 am
#261
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,230
Mileage upgrade confirmed at booking for non-elite husband on Fri 11am JFK-SFO, 8 days in advance. Flight showing C4 initially, but by the time his TA ticketed the flight, it was down to C2 
.
Return flight (Wed. 3pm SFO-JFK) waitlisted. J inventory dwindled down to 0 a day or two before. Hopeless.
But due to the elite promotion, husband was given Platinum status right before the trip. We didn’t call to see if his waitlist position needed to be “reset.”
in in any event, upgrade shockingly cleared ~8pm Tuesday as there had apparently been some cancellations. IIRC, flight was showing J1 after the upgrade cleared. FWIW, Expertflyer C alert never triggered, it was the seat alert (original Y seat) that let me know something was up.
Due use to weather in SFO, flight was looking to be 3 hours delayed. There was J2 on the 11am flight the next day, but we called AA and they switched him no problem, keeping the confirmed upgrade (presumably a sticker upgrade wouldn’t have been afforded the same privileges.)
Moral - AA will aggressively clear mileage upgrades, I'm sure partly due to expected changes/cancellations on these routes. No real idea if CK/EXP/PPro Comp upgrades had cleared earlier into R inventory. But perhaps oddly, there were only 4-5 people on the upgrade standby list shortly before departure (Not sure if anyone cleared, prob not). Which suggests the higher elites had already gotten their upgrades, and/or few Golds/Plats wanted to spend 6 stickers...
.Return flight (Wed. 3pm SFO-JFK) waitlisted. J inventory dwindled down to 0 a day or two before. Hopeless.
But due to the elite promotion, husband was given Platinum status right before the trip. We didn’t call to see if his waitlist position needed to be “reset.”
in in any event, upgrade shockingly cleared ~8pm Tuesday as there had apparently been some cancellations. IIRC, flight was showing J1 after the upgrade cleared. FWIW, Expertflyer C alert never triggered, it was the seat alert (original Y seat) that let me know something was up.
Due use to weather in SFO, flight was looking to be 3 hours delayed. There was J2 on the 11am flight the next day, but we called AA and they switched him no problem, keeping the confirmed upgrade (presumably a sticker upgrade wouldn’t have been afforded the same privileges.)
Moral - AA will aggressively clear mileage upgrades, I'm sure partly due to expected changes/cancellations on these routes. No real idea if CK/EXP/PPro Comp upgrades had cleared earlier into R inventory. But perhaps oddly, there were only 4-5 people on the upgrade standby list shortly before departure (Not sure if anyone cleared, prob not). Which suggests the higher elites had already gotten their upgrades, and/or few Golds/Plats wanted to spend 6 stickers...
Jan 21, 2019, 12:00 pm
#262
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
…. (snipped) Comes down to how and when AA chooses to publish inventory for instrument upgrades (C) vs sticker/complimentary upgrades (R). So you might well find yourself losing out if AA publishes R before it publishes C, contrary to how it's supposed to work at the airport/gate.
Jan 22, 2019, 8:12 am
#263
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
Question: So... If I opt to go with miles/copay, and AA publishes R before C, won't I be on the winning side since I'd get the upgrade as EXP? Or am I in a different "queue/pecking order" since my upgrade type trumps my AA status and I'm no longer eligible for the comp upgrade.
Feb 2, 2019, 5:10 am
#265
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Cleared SFO-JFK at T-100. Will be my first time on this route as an EXP. Think the last time I was on the JFK-SFO via Boston and lucked out getting J. Sat next to two other EXP (husband and wife) and they were moaning an groaning all the way home about how they should have been upgraded... LOL
Feb 2, 2019, 6:37 am
#266
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
This likely doesn’t count as an upgrade, but I’m flying DCA-JFK (AA2654) aboard an A321T, and self-upgraded at T24 to TCON business, which is being sold as MCE. 
Feb 2, 2019, 8:48 am
#267
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Gotcha… Similar situation for me on the BOS-JFK leg I did on A321T. Was able to select J seat as it was sold as MCE being EXP. But was glad to have access to exit row in Y for the JFK-SFO leg.
Feb 3, 2019, 11:32 pm
#269
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
it’s a full meal. Nuts, appetizer, main course with bread, and dessert. Mid flight snack (I think it’s usually a scone and/or cookies) and snack basket with fresh fruit. You won’t be hungry...
Feb 4, 2019, 2:11 pm
#270
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
I just took this and unfortunately for dessert it's regular ice cream in a cup instead of the flagship sundaes you'll get during regular lunch and dinner service. Not a big deal but sundaes are one of my favorite parts of the AA transcon service.