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?
#106
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
Yet another data point
TUL-DFW 5/21. Booked 4/19. No clearance from T-100 up to T-4. I'm Number 1 on the upgrade list. I approached the GA who would be working the flight (and knows me by both name and nickname) an hour before flight time.
She checked for me, and said "I have two open in First. I can't do anything right now for you because someone may upgrade at the kiosk". (I cleared, but no one else did).
SPECULATION-That might explain why in certain situations, you can go from F7 to F1 in the time it takes to drive to the airport for your flight-The dreaded kiosk upgrade. Just one more thing to stress about (or not).
At the end of the day, with a finite number of seats, and sometimes a greater than finite number of posteriors to occupy them (UPG list for my flight yesterday was at 39), for me, it boils down to a zen-like approach: Either it will clear, or it won't. But I WILL get to my desired destination, no matter where I sit. (OTOH-Standby can be a non zen-like story )
She checked for me, and said "I have two open in First. I can't do anything right now for you because someone may upgrade at the kiosk". (I cleared, but no one else did).
SPECULATION-That might explain why in certain situations, you can go from F7 to F1 in the time it takes to drive to the airport for your flight-The dreaded kiosk upgrade. Just one more thing to stress about (or not).
At the end of the day, with a finite number of seats, and sometimes a greater than finite number of posteriors to occupy them (UPG list for my flight yesterday was at 39), for me, it boils down to a zen-like approach: Either it will clear, or it won't. But I WILL get to my desired destination, no matter where I sit. (OTOH-Standby can be a non zen-like story )
#107
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
TUL-DFW 5/21. Booked 4/19. No clearance from T-100 up to T-4. I'm Number 1 on the upgrade list. I approached the GA who would be working the flight (and knows me by both name and nickname) an hour before flight time.
She checked for me, and said "I have two open in First. I can't do anything right now for you because someone may upgrade at the kiosk". (I cleared, but no one else did).
SPECULATION-That might explain why in certain situations, you can go from F7 to F1 in the time it takes to drive to the airport for your flight-The dreaded kiosk upgrade. Just one more thing to stress about (or not).
At the end of the day, with a finite number of seats, and sometimes a greater than finite number of posteriors to occupy them (UPG list for my flight yesterday was at 39), for me, it boils down to a zen-like approach: Either it will clear, or it won't. But I WILL get to my desired destination, no matter where I sit. (OTOH-Standby can be a non zen-like story )
She checked for me, and said "I have two open in First. I can't do anything right now for you because someone may upgrade at the kiosk". (I cleared, but no one else did).
SPECULATION-That might explain why in certain situations, you can go from F7 to F1 in the time it takes to drive to the airport for your flight-The dreaded kiosk upgrade. Just one more thing to stress about (or not).
At the end of the day, with a finite number of seats, and sometimes a greater than finite number of posteriors to occupy them (UPG list for my flight yesterday was at 39), for me, it boils down to a zen-like approach: Either it will clear, or it won't. But I WILL get to my desired destination, no matter where I sit. (OTOH-Standby can be a non zen-like story )
#109
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
#110
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
We're getting multiple reports, from multiple agents, across multiple stations systemwide though. Plus the revenue management and upgrade experiences seem to be consistent with what TODs would cause.
#111
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AA EP, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 636
airport agents know absolutely nothing about revenue management and how the upgrades are handled. The system is programmed not to offer LFBU if there are elites waiting for an upgrade unless of course there are more open seats then elites waiting on the upgrade
#112
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
airport agents know absolutely nothing about revenue management and how the upgrades are handled. The system is programmed not to offer LFBU if there are elites waiting for an upgrade unless of course there are more open seats then elites waiting on the upgrade
#113
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, BA Gold
Posts: 876
It's very puzzling and I'm seeing it happen more often. For a flight this afternoon that I booked four months ago, EF has shown F7 for several days with plenty of seats open. Five hours prior to flight, EF went to F1 and a few minutes later to F0. Now fours prior I see the upgrade list and I'm #1. It just doesn't make sense that there were 7+ EXPs or PLTs ahead of me - certainly not on this route. Possible, yes; likely, no.
#114
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
airport agents know absolutely nothing about revenue management and how the upgrades are handled. The system is programmed not to offer LFBU if there are elites waiting for an upgrade unless of course there are more open seats then elites waiting on the upgrade
(I was only following orders.)
Last edited by Dallas49er; May 22, 2015 at 5:46 pm
#115
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: LHR, SAN
Programs: BA GGL, AA PLT, VS-curious
Posts: 1,487
I am *not* generally a conspiracy theorist, but this thread, plus
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ails-page.html
Combined with the thread about the lack of upgrade email notifications (no idea how to link two threads in the same post) sounds a bit like they may very well have had a change in policy regarding upgrades.
I haven't run into a list where I haven't cleared this year (late in the day), but I flew quite a bit until mid-April and have been home since, so I'm only going by what's been posted here. But it sounds as though those who are waitlisted for an auto-upgrade can only get one if TOD seats remain unsold? If so, it would be great if there was a system by which those on the waitlist also had a shot at TODs. By all means, sell seats. But sell them to me, too
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ails-page.html
Combined with the thread about the lack of upgrade email notifications (no idea how to link two threads in the same post) sounds a bit like they may very well have had a change in policy regarding upgrades.
I haven't run into a list where I haven't cleared this year (late in the day), but I flew quite a bit until mid-April and have been home since, so I'm only going by what's been posted here. But it sounds as though those who are waitlisted for an auto-upgrade can only get one if TOD seats remain unsold? If so, it would be great if there was a system by which those on the waitlist also had a shot at TODs. By all means, sell seats. But sell them to me, too
#116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,866
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.
Are those AA's version of TODs?
#117
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
Another point of reference, the entire front cabin for my flight tomorrow is empty (as is most of the plane, btw) yet my upgrade has not cleared since the window opened on Thursday. At this point, I do not expect it to as I suspect this is another flight where I am not actually on the upgrade list, despite what the reservation says, & will not be until I get to the airport tomorrow & have an agent manually add me to the list.
#118
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
Received e-mail notice of upgrade this morning for 5/27 DFW-ABQ at T-100.
Last edited by Dallas49er; May 23, 2015 at 11:46 am
#120
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,978
It's very puzzling and I'm seeing it happen more often. For a flight this afternoon that I booked four months ago, EF has shown F7 for several days with plenty of seats open. Five hours prior to flight, EF went to F1 and a few minutes later to F0. Now fours prior I see the upgrade list and I'm #1. It just doesn't make sense that there were 7+ EXPs or PLTs ahead of me - certainly not on this route. Possible, yes; likely, no.