Mar 30, 2017, 4:57 pm
Last edit by: jay_dubya
AA Upgrade Window for AAdvantage Elites
The "upgrade window" is the time during which an upgrade may be granted to statusholders. The "upgrade window" for AAdvantage Elites varies upon elite status held. In 2017:
- ConciergeKey - 120 hours
- Executive Platinum - 100 hours
- Platinum Pro - 72 hours
- Platinum - 48 hours
- Gold - 24 hours
- Non-elite - no upgrade window
Conversely, higher load factors, Revenue Management predictions and actions, flight route, season, demand, supply and other factors all affect the availability of upgrade seats and when any seats might be made available to upgrade. AA has tightened upgrade availability over the recent years, but planning leading to significantly higher load factors has been undoubtedly been a major factor in upgrade "tightness" to the point even upper tier elites who get upgraded may do so airside at the gate counter.
Has AA eliminated the upgrade window for elites?
May 28, 2015, 10:44 pm
#151
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,978
Me too. I'm still at 100% this year, but the upgrades are definitely clearing later, on average. Seems like there has to be at least 12 open F seats (out of a typical 16) for there to be any chance an upgrade will clear at the window.
May 29, 2015, 11:13 am
#152
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
My MSY-ORD morning flight cleared at the window (midweek).
Evening MSY-ORD flight never clears until ~T-4 or at the airport.
I guess RM has fine-tuned the UG List on this route. AA has to make money.
Evening MSY-ORD flight never clears until ~T-4 or at the airport.
I guess RM has fine-tuned the UG List on this route. AA has to make money.
May 29, 2015, 11:38 am
#153
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
As a paid international J traveler, who often has trouble finding an F seat on the domestic leg if I change my plans last minute, I would prefer that upgrades not clear until just before boarding.
Nothing is more frustrating than having to ride in Y after a long flight when you are entitled to an F seat, but people have been upgraded.
Nothing is more frustrating than having to ride in Y after a long flight when you are entitled to an F seat, but people have been upgraded.
On the other hand, I'm sitting at a measly 58% success rate this year (but 83% on "upgrades that matter" which I define as flights over 500mi). Part of the dismal upgrade rate for me is on LAX-SFO flights that tend to be the ones that are timed to connect with QF and are filled with premium QF pax.
May 29, 2015, 12:39 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
May 29, 2015, 2:50 pm
#155
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
May 29, 2015, 7:18 pm
#157
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,631
I was used to T-72 on MIA-SDQ as a plat, T-24 on days when the flight was highly booked in J. Now at T-4 or at the gate.
May 29, 2015, 10:48 pm
#158
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
I find the emails to be hit-or-miss, maybe even moreso than in the past. I got the email at the window time on my last upgrade, but sometimes I've gotten them either a) after the flight, or b) not at all.
May 30, 2015, 4:02 pm
#160
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
For my flight on 6/1/15 from ORD to LGA my upg cleared at T-100.
I'm waiting for my first flt. NRT to ORD from Y to J to clear. EF is showing lots of 7's (J7 especially
), the seat map has 16 empty seats at 7:00 am on 5/31/15 NRT time, I've gotten no notification from EF and on aa.com the tell-tail sign "we cannot access your reservation" is not there.
'Follow-up at 5:24 pm NRT time. I called EXP line, my UPG from NRT did clear (no notifications from EF, no indication on AA,com "we cannot..".)
But under the parameters I noted above, its "rediculous"
for them to hold out this long.
Further follow-up, as I was typing my previous follow-up, I received an email from EF, that my alert showed at least one C class seat was available.
I'm waiting for my first flt. NRT to ORD from Y to J to clear. EF is showing lots of 7's (J7 especially
), the seat map has 16 empty seats at 7:00 am on 5/31/15 NRT time, I've gotten no notification from EF and on aa.com the tell-tail sign "we cannot access your reservation" is not there.'Follow-up at 5:24 pm NRT time. I called EXP line, my UPG from NRT did clear (no notifications from EF, no indication on AA,com "we cannot..".)
But under the parameters I noted above, its "rediculous"
for them to hold out this long.Further follow-up, as I was typing my previous follow-up, I received an email from EF, that my alert showed at least one C class seat was available.
Last edited by nrr; May 31, 2015 at 2:59 am
May 31, 2015, 5:25 pm
#161
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: AA SPG Amex
Posts: 4,644
Not to mention last minute changes. Not sure what the ratio is of seats needed to accommodate last minute bookings to seats needed to accommodate last minute changes but the latter has the potential to require the return of revenue already collected.
Jun 1, 2015, 3:54 pm
#162
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA, Hilton
Posts: 21
offered a paid upgrade to 1st with no status
I was checking my mom is for her trip from PBI-DFW and when I tried changing her seat a notification popped up offering a paid upgrade to first. My mom travels on AA maybe 2-3 times a year so she has no status.
I told my husband who is an exp that's probably why AA is holding back upgrades until the last minute because why not sell a seat in first instead of giving it away.
I told my husband who is an exp that's probably why AA is holding back upgrades until the last minute because why not sell a seat in first instead of giving it away.
Jun 1, 2015, 4:01 pm
#163
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jun 1, 2015, 6:08 pm
#165
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
I was checking my mom is for her trip from PBI-DFW and when I tried changing her seat a notification popped up offering a paid upgrade to first. My mom travels on AA maybe 2-3 times a year so she has no status.
I told my husband who is an exp that's probably why AA is holding back upgrades until the last minute because why not sell a seat in first instead of giving it away.
I told my husband who is an exp that's probably why AA is holding back upgrades until the last minute because why not sell a seat in first instead of giving it away.
Just curious-how much was the upgrade & what did your husband say? I'm an EXP & I'm not thrilled, especially since Discount Dougie is excluding people like us.