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?
Jan 13, 2017, 6:23 pm
#1051
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
Jan 13, 2017, 7:19 pm
#1053
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,385
As of January 11, that is correct. There is no more domestic F except on 3-class transcons.
You haven't been able to see X/R inventory on EF for a number of years now. In fact, even AAgents can't see it.
You haven't been able to see X/R inventory on EF for a number of years now. In fact, even AAgents can't see it.
Jan 13, 2017, 8:28 pm
#1054
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
The airline leaves space open for a wide variety of reasons, including but not limited to being able to reacoominidate REVENUE J/F passengers who may or may not have been affected by IRROPS.
Last edited by Col Ronson; Jan 13, 2017 at 9:41 pm
Jan 13, 2017, 9:40 pm
#1055
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,585
And SWUs have thier own page(s) explaining policy for their use.
I hear ya. I must have Stockholm syndrome because 1. I keep checking it and 2. Have even posted in it! At least I'm sure that 1. International flights don't have upgrade windows and 2. The 100 (or 72 or 48 or 24) hour windows still exist.
Either way, it's a fun thread to check. :P
Either way, it's a fun thread to check. :P
Jan 14, 2017, 10:20 am
#1056
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
The fact that non-elites can use miles+copay should have been a clue, I suppose.
Jan 14, 2017, 4:53 pm
#1058
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP Marriott Titanium
Posts: 202
Same thing for my flights today. MCO-CLT 6:30am departure 12 people on the list and 12 people cleared at the gate. DFW-ABQ 3:00 pm departure 5 people on the list, 5 people cleared at the gate. For my DFW-ABQ flight F even went out with 1 empty seats, not sure why they hold the seats for so long when they can't even fill the F with NRSAs
Jan 15, 2017, 2:29 pm
#1061
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: UA Gold, AA PLT, Hertz PC, Marriott Gold
Posts: 107
So for my return flight on a CRJ900 with 12th business seats,:
@T-72 hrs, 1 seat was occupied but no upgrade
@T-20 hrs, 2 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
@T-4 hrs, 3 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
was finally upgraded at the gate. The gate agent said the seat maps were not populating correctly in the system which prevented automatic upgrades.
@T-72 hrs, 1 seat was occupied but no upgrade
@T-20 hrs, 2 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
@T-4 hrs, 3 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
was finally upgraded at the gate. The gate agent said the seat maps were not populating correctly in the system which prevented automatic upgrades.
Jan 15, 2017, 2:32 pm
#1062
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
So for my return flight on a CRJ900 with 12th business seats,:
@T-72 hrs, 1 seat was occupied but no upgrade
@T-20 hrs, 2 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
@T-4 hrs, 3 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
was finally upgraded at the gate. The gate agent said the seat maps were not populating correctly in the system which prevented automatic upgrades.
@T-72 hrs, 1 seat was occupied but no upgrade
@T-20 hrs, 2 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
@T-4 hrs, 3 seats were occupied, but no upgrade
was finally upgraded at the gate. The gate agent said the seat maps were not populating correctly in the system which prevented automatic upgrades.
Jan 16, 2017, 8:49 am
#1065
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: UA Gold, AA PLT, Hertz PC, Marriott Gold
Posts: 107
I was thinking the CPU issue may have something to do with the reclassification of domestic F as J.