Can someone help explain loyalty program?
 

Hello All,

I work for a business where I have been traveling a lot recently. I use American Airlines and when I log in to check my status it shows:

YTD Elite Qualifying Points 41,327
YTD Elite Qualifying Miles 39,900
YTD Elite Qualifying Segments 24
Miles Needed to Earn Elite Upgrades 4,688
Miles with Expiration Deferred Through Dec 19, 2015 97,039
500 Mile Upgrade Account Balance 4
Million Milersm Balance 84,131
Program to Date Miles 97,039

I am currently traveling to Kansas City tomorrow and it is on US Airway. I went to check in and this is the first time that I've seen First Class seats. I clicked on it to see how much it'd be and it is showing me that it is free.

Am I missing something here or is this truly a free upgrade? How come I haven't been able to select or choose first class on American Airlines when I check in? Does this happen all the time for US Airway flights?

Can someone help explain loyalty program?
 

More to come but yes, truly free. Select the seats and finish checking in before you lose the seat!

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Presumably, you are flying on a paid Coach ticket. What is the fare basis (typically, a multi-character alpha-numeric code) of your ticket?

I don't have my ticket yet. I just checked in and tried to print it but it says I need to go get the ticket at their airport but when I re-check my logistics, it now shows me in the first class seat. The ticket that I purchased as was preferred coach seat.

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If you checked in, you have a ticket. You might not yet have a printed receipt for your (electronic) ticket, but you have a ticket. The fare basis of your ticket should have been available when you purchased your ticket, but you would not necessarily have had any reason to take note of it at the time of purchase.

Some Coach fares are "instant upgrade" fares; it's possible that you purchased one of those.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...un-2014-a.html

All AA elites are eligible for free upgrades on US metal at time of check-in, assuming there are seats open at that time. US elites are eligible for upgrades on AA metal at a cost equivalent of buying stickers for the length of the flight.

It doesn't matter. This is a result of the reciprocal upgrade policy of AAdvantage elites flying US.

.. and OP was buying US ticket in less than 24 hr before the flight. In now old days when we were able to put AA tickets on hold even a day before departure, I have put a ticket on hold 2 or 3 days before the flightand "requested" upgrade on aa.com (free for EXP). In 30 min I received e-mail that my upgrade cleared and I had an F seat on hold for a coach price.

Based on your numbers, you've earned AA Gold status. Asothers have noted, as an AA GLD, the new policy (since June 11) gives you free space-available upgrades at check in time when flying on US.

You've also earned 4 500-mile upgrade credits for AA travel. (You get 4 for each 10K flown since you earned status at 25K). To upgrade when flying on AA, you need to explicitly request the upgrade (check box on the reservation page). If the upgrade clears, the upgrade credits will be deducted (e.g. 3 for a 1200 mile flight). So it's not quite as simple as on US where it's just a seat change at check in.

Welcome to the wonderful world of US Airways where upgrades are simple and free for all elite customers. Had you been a US silver member (AA gold) booked on a US flight, you would not even had to select a seat in F as you would have been automarically upgraded.