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 19, 2015, 6:15 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Our flights this weekend SFO-ORD-LGA cleared at exactly 100 hours. I had seat alerts set in EF, so was prepared t be awoken around 3:50AM. As it is, I woke up at 3:48 AM, went to the computer, watched them clear into our split-for-upgrade-purposes records, canceled the alerts, rearranged seats and went back to bed.
I expect the return to clear at 100 hours as well.
This has not generally been the rule of late.
Cheers.
I expect the return to clear at 100 hours as well.
This has not generally been the rule of late.
Cheers.
May 19, 2015, 8:09 pm
#77
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Programs: AA P-Pro, Chase SP, SPG Gold
Posts: 556
My last three AA-metal jaunts have cleared day of.
The most recent one, yesterday morning, I cleared along with half the F cabin at two minutes before boarding began.
I have a US-metal itinerary coming up next Tuesday, will see when that one clears...
The most recent one, yesterday morning, I cleared along with half the F cabin at two minutes before boarding began.
I have a US-metal itinerary coming up next Tuesday, will see when that one clears...
May 20, 2015, 6:40 am
#78
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: LHR, SAN
Programs: BA GGL, AA PLT, VS-curious
Posts: 1,487
I haven't had any domestic-only upgrade requests this year, but 5/8 SWUs cleared at T-4ish or at the gate. Of the three which cleared earlier, one was applied at booking last September for a January flight and two were applied to rebookings during IRROPS, where they have more wiggle room with fare class availability.
May 20, 2015, 1:45 pm
#79
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
I've also noticed that I only now clear the within T-24 hours. The T-100 hour upgrade hasn't been seen a very long time. the above quote is troublesome. Is this typical where AA sells F seats at OLCI before elites have cleared? I thought it was AA's official position that OLCI $ upgrades only occurred in situations where the upgrade waitlist was empty. This would be a HUGE deal if this changed.
An example post I was recalling can be found here.
Last edited by Madison Guy; May 20, 2015 at 2:01 pm Reason: Added reference
May 20, 2015, 8:27 pm
#81
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
If I may give my recent experience, it may shed some light, or bring more confusion....
Original booking had two flights. SFO-LAX-DEN. Both operated on ERJ-175.
LAX-DEN clears at T-100. SFO-LAX does not. The seat map for either never shows up and instead of the usual aisle seat as my profile indicates is my preference, I've been assigned a window seat. Cannot change online, but see on EF that appart from me, only one other seat is taken, so I call to get an aisle seat.
Day of, I decide to move to a earlier flights. Upgrade for the first one clears within minutes. The second one does not, but I had been given 4C. As it turns out, 4C does not exist on the former US CR9 flying that route.
Online it shows I don't have a seat. Flagship lounge can't print a new boarding pass after telling me I'm in 8C.
At the gate, still shows I am in Y with no seat. Yet the gate agent has already a new BP printed with 2A.
So, IMHO, it seems there's a lot of IT issues with the merger, and the upgrade system may be one of the casualties. Nothing to worry too much about yet.
Original booking had two flights. SFO-LAX-DEN. Both operated on ERJ-175.
LAX-DEN clears at T-100. SFO-LAX does not. The seat map for either never shows up and instead of the usual aisle seat as my profile indicates is my preference, I've been assigned a window seat. Cannot change online, but see on EF that appart from me, only one other seat is taken, so I call to get an aisle seat.
Day of, I decide to move to a earlier flights. Upgrade for the first one clears within minutes. The second one does not, but I had been given 4C. As it turns out, 4C does not exist on the former US CR9 flying that route.
Online it shows I don't have a seat. Flagship lounge can't print a new boarding pass after telling me I'm in 8C.
At the gate, still shows I am in Y with no seat. Yet the gate agent has already a new BP printed with 2A.
So, IMHO, it seems there's a lot of IT issues with the merger, and the upgrade system may be one of the casualties. Nothing to worry too much about yet.
May 21, 2015, 5:18 am
#82
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CHI, BOS, SFO
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,667
I really hope it's an IT problem that can be fixed soon. On AA 2493 this morning MIA-SJU and have not cleared nor even on the upgrade list. This happened to my wife Saturday ORD-SJU. Even after requesting to be added to the upgrade list her name never appeared on the screen nor the app; hope to have better luck and resolve this when I get to MIA 
May 21, 2015, 5:28 am
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Same thing happened to me last week, except this was at the GLD window and there was STILL only two take up front. Didn't end up clearing until T-3 or so. In retrospect, I wish it hadn't cleared.
May 21, 2015, 7:11 am
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Except that they don't even do that. UA sells TODs before upgrades clear, I'm not aware of AA doing the same. DL uses FCM to offer F deeply discounted, AA doesn't do this either. They're holding back upgrades in the event 14 people decide to buy full F tickets day of departure on flights like DFW-MCO.
May 21, 2015, 5:32 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Our flights this weekend SFO-ORD-LGA cleared at exactly 100 hours. I had seat alerts set in EF, so was prepared t be awoken around 3:50AM. As it is, I woke up at 3:48 AM, went to the computer, watched them clear into our split-for-upgrade-purposes records, canceled the alerts, rearranged seats and went back to bed.
I expect the return to clear at 100 hours as well.
This has not generally been the rule of late.
Cheers.
I expect the return to clear at 100 hours as well.
This has not generally been the rule of late.
Cheers.
Cheers.
May 21, 2015, 6:01 pm
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
May 21, 2015, 6:27 pm
#89
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
).
May 21, 2015, 6:56 pm
#90
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
"Almost completely open..." based on what? Seatmap? What they will sell? (Only can see up to F7 with tools like EF.) Or using actual loads based on tools not generally available to the public?