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Posts from 2014 through 2016 have been archived, and may be read here.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
Mar 31, 2017, 8:37 am
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,238
Net, I'd say the chances are in fact low, unless you're on an off-hours flight (e.g., Saturday night). But I think AA took a lot of the JFK-SFO off-hours flights off the schedule.
Originally Posted by lewis_saint
I'll keep my fingers crossed. Is there any logic to proactively calling AA as soon as I see any C inventory shortly before my flight and requesting them to manually process the upgrade immediately, or will any upgrade be processed automatically and beyond an agent's control?
Apr 2, 2017, 11:13 am
#62
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,316
All else being equal,
For a Friday night redeye LAX-JFK in July (not 4th weekend), would the most likely chance for an upgrade be on the last of the three redeyes?
There is one at 9pm, one at 10pm, and one at 11:55pm. The 9pm is currently wide open but the prior flight is at 4:30 so I'm thinking their might be more paid J at 9pm. However no seats on EF shown as booked (J7)
Normally, I don't like the last flight of the day because of mechanical risk, but that has only 4 seats on EF taken (J7) but the 10pm has 8 seats booked (J7 still).
I know open seats on EF may not mean anything but I figure occupied seats do.
Is the 11:55 PM my best chance at an upgrade?
For a Friday night redeye LAX-JFK in July (not 4th weekend), would the most likely chance for an upgrade be on the last of the three redeyes?
There is one at 9pm, one at 10pm, and one at 11:55pm. The 9pm is currently wide open but the prior flight is at 4:30 so I'm thinking their might be more paid J at 9pm. However no seats on EF shown as booked (J7)
Normally, I don't like the last flight of the day because of mechanical risk, but that has only 4 seats on EF taken (J7) but the 10pm has 8 seats booked (J7 still).
I know open seats on EF may not mean anything but I figure occupied seats do.
Is the 11:55 PM my best chance at an upgrade?
Apr 2, 2017, 1:56 pm
#63
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,485
Hi, just wondering if someone can help me check something on EF.
For 05/07 sunday night red eyes from LAX to JFK. So, AA10, AA28 and AA30. Do any of them look like have upgrades available right now? Just wondering if I can apply my SWU right now for them.
For 05/07 sunday night red eyes from LAX to JFK. So, AA10, AA28 and AA30. Do any of them look like have upgrades available right now? Just wondering if I can apply my SWU right now for them.
Apr 2, 2017, 2:16 pm
#64
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,316
Not likely that you will find one in advance, they have become almost non-existent on that route.
Apr 2, 2017, 3:33 pm
#65
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 902
I've booked myself on 10 pm LAX to JFK. Under same ticket JFK to YUL. Business Booking class is D. Expertflyer shows no available upgrades, using points to First. Do these typical open up at some point? About 2 months away. Status is Gold if that matters.....its 15k at a fee, maybe $150?
Apr 3, 2017, 5:21 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
1. If upgrade is cleared, can I change my frequent flyer number to Alaska mileageplan number without losing AA complimentary upgrade (I am AA platinum member)?
2. I have a companion in the same reservation who does not have any AA status. Will my (our) order of clearance drop below my status (platinum)? And do I have to call AA to request upgrade for companion? (I have 12 500-miles stickers, so enough for two people to upgrade LAX-JFK).
3. Does the companion have to have AAdvantage number to be upgraded in my reservation (i.e. can the companion use Alaska number (to earn AS miles because the companion has status with AS) in the reservation without affecting our upgrade chance)??
2. I have a companion in the same reservation who does not have any AA status. Will my (our) order of clearance drop below my status (platinum)? And do I have to call AA to request upgrade for companion? (I have 12 500-miles stickers, so enough for two people to upgrade LAX-JFK).
3. Does the companion have to have AAdvantage number to be upgraded in my reservation (i.e. can the companion use Alaska number (to earn AS miles because the companion has status with AS) in the reservation without affecting our upgrade chance)??
Apr 7, 2017, 10:29 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Club, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 31
So here's my question, and I'm hoping you all know a lot more about these things than I do:
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Apr 7, 2017, 10:38 am
#68
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,316
All else being equal,
For a Friday night redeye LAX-JFK in July (not 4th weekend), would the most likely chance for an upgrade be on the last of the three redeyes?
There is one at 9pm, one at 10pm, and one at 11:55pm. The 9pm is currently wide open but the prior flight is at 4:30 so I'm thinking their might be more paid J at 9pm. However no seats on EF shown as booked (J7)
Normally, I don't like the last flight of the day because of mechanical risk, but that has only 4 seats on EF taken (J7) but the 10pm has 8 seats booked (J7 still).
I know open seats on EF may not mean anything but I figure occupied seats do.
Is the 11:55 PM my best chance at an upgrade?
For a Friday night redeye LAX-JFK in July (not 4th weekend), would the most likely chance for an upgrade be on the last of the three redeyes?
There is one at 9pm, one at 10pm, and one at 11:55pm. The 9pm is currently wide open but the prior flight is at 4:30 so I'm thinking their might be more paid J at 9pm. However no seats on EF shown as booked (J7)
Normally, I don't like the last flight of the day because of mechanical risk, but that has only 4 seats on EF taken (J7) but the 10pm has 8 seats booked (J7 still).
I know open seats on EF may not mean anything but I figure occupied seats do.
Is the 11:55 PM my best chance at an upgrade?
Apr 7, 2017, 12:54 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
So here's my question, and I'm hoping you all know a lot more about these things than I do:
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Apr 7, 2017, 3:38 pm
#71
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
So here's my question, and I'm hoping you all know a lot more about these things than I do:
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Why is an EXP who buys a business class ticket JFK-LAX/SFO not auto-upgraded to F? I may have missed that along the way. I am an EXP and I fly JFK-LAX monthly, and unfortunately my company policy does not allow J tickets. So I spend an inordinate amount of anxiety waiting for my name to be called at the gate, with only about a 33% success rate. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.
Apr 12, 2017, 3:18 pm
#74
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
The answer is likely that people buy F tickets outright or use miles or SWU to upgrade, and AA wants to continue to encourage that. If you book for enough out, the premium for F isn't that large.
Apr 13, 2017, 6:15 pm
#75
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY GOLD, HH GOLD
Posts: 411
A little over a week ago I was #2 on the JFK-LAX list with J2... Then around T-1 appeared probably a CK couple on the list and boom they got it 
A week later though I was cleared at T-2 for the LAX-JFK leg on the way back.
A week later though I was cleared at T-2 for the LAX-JFK leg on the way back.