Dec 25, 2015, 8:28 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Earning American Airlines AAvantage Miles Flying British Airways
Including known issues (e.g. upgrades) with AA / BA
Earning AAdvantage Miles on British Airways When Upgraded[/color]
Links to BAEC Forum resources:
Including known issues (e.g. upgrades) with AA / BA
Earning AAdvantage Miles flying British Airways
Travel on British Airways and its affiliate airline counts toward qualifying for AAdvantage elite status membership.
Affiliate airlines
AAdvantage Concierge Key, Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, Platinum and Gold members traveling on British Airways also enjoy:
Additional elite status bonus miles
If you fly BA as an AA codeshare, marketed flight, you will earn as if you were flying on AA.
Link to AAdvantage chart on earning miles flying BA.
Travel on British Airways and its affiliate airline counts toward qualifying for AAdvantage elite status membership.
Affiliate airlines
- BA Cityflyer
- BA EuroFlyer
- Sun-Air of Scandinavia
AAdvantage Concierge Key, Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, Platinum and Gold members traveling on British Airways also enjoy:
Additional elite status bonus miles
If you fly BA as an AA codeshare, marketed flight, you will earn as if you were flying on AA.
Link to AAdvantage chart on earning miles flying BA.
Upgrading to First on British Airways and U, Z (?) upgrade shared with award Fare Class Issues
Upgrading a paid Business (Club World) fare to First on British Airways puts the flight into fare class "Z" (?)a class that is ineligible for AAdvantage miles accrual (as reflected on the accrual chart) because it is also an award classification for a First Class award.
Upgrading a paid Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) fare to Business puts it into U class (?), another award fare class that earns no AA miles.
Members have recently reported success at having their upgrades acknowledged as miles-earning, but it may prove challenging.
According to successful member BosTravel, you may have to contact ask for AAdvantage Customer Service, and explain you paid for Business, upgraded to F, or WTP to CW, and provide them with your original ticket number(s).
Upgrading a paid Business (Club World) fare to First on British Airways puts the flight into fare class "Z" (?)a class that is ineligible for AAdvantage miles accrual (as reflected on the accrual chart) because it is also an award classification for a First Class award.
Upgrading a paid Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) fare to Business puts it into U class (?), another award fare class that earns no AA miles.
Members have recently reported success at having their upgrades acknowledged as miles-earning, but it may prove challenging.
According to successful member BosTravel, you may have to contact ask for AAdvantage Customer Service, and explain you paid for Business, upgraded to F, or WTP to CW, and provide them with your original ticket number(s).
Earning AAdvantage Miles on British Airways When Upgraded[/color]
AAdvantage Participating Airline Upgrade Awards / PAUA (using AA miles)
AAdvantage miles may be used to secure upgrade awards for partners BA and IB, including code shares, depending on fare purchased.
EQM will be generally earned based on originally purchased fare.
Link to thread discussing AA Participating Airline Upgrade Awards / PAUA
AAdvantage miles may be used to secure upgrade awards for partners BA and IB, including code shares, depending on fare purchased.
- Full Fare Economy includes published fares booked in Y or B (excluding Military or Government fares)
- Full Fare Premium Economy refers to World Traveller Plus published fares booked in W on British Airways
- Full Fare Business includes published fares booked in J, D or R on American and C, J, D or R on British Airways
EQM will be generally earned based on originally purchased fare.
Link to thread discussing AA Participating Airline Upgrade Awards / PAUA
Links to BAEC Forum resources:
Pro-Active Online Upgrades (POUG)
A. What is a Pro-active Online Upgrade?
The simple answer: it is a limited special upgrade that may be offered at a time of BA's choosing after your booking is ticketed up to and including online check-in. The offer, if it happens (and this is not guaranteed) will appear in Manage My Booking, either via BA.com or the mobile app. There is no email notification, klaxon sound or flashing beacons to alert you - so now you know why its called a Pro-active Online Upgrade
Please note, POUG rates differ from the rates offered at the airport (see, Airport Upgrade (AUP) cost tracking thread) and also the rate offered when you click on the “Upgrade my class of travel with money” link from within MMB, or the “Upgrade to the next available cabin” blue/grey banner in the app.
Link to thread on Pro-active Online Upgrades and cost tracking
A. What is a Pro-active Online Upgrade?
The simple answer: it is a limited special upgrade that may be offered at a time of BA's choosing after your booking is ticketed up to and including online check-in. The offer, if it happens (and this is not guaranteed) will appear in Manage My Booking, either via BA.com or the mobile app. There is no email notification, klaxon sound or flashing beacons to alert you - so now you know why its called a Pro-active Online Upgrade
Please note, POUG rates differ from the rates offered at the airport (see, Airport Upgrade (AUP) cost tracking thread) and also the rate offered when you click on the “Upgrade my class of travel with money” link from within MMB, or the “Upgrade to the next available cabin” blue/grey banner in the app.
Link to thread on Pro-active Online Upgrades and cost tracking
Airport Upgrades (AUP):
Airport Upgrades may be offered at the airport, or rarely in a lounge if requested.
Link to thread on Airport Upgrades and cost tracking
Airport Upgrades may be offered at the airport, or rarely in a lounge if requested.
Link to thread on Airport Upgrades and cost tracking
Upgrading using Avios (UuA)
UuAs can only be applied to tickets issued on 125 stock. In other words tickets issued by BA or BA registered travel agents with ticket numbers beginning 125. Tickets sold by Iberia and American Airlines are issued on different numbered stock and cannot be upgraded using Avios.
Link to post regarding Upgrading using Avios
UuAs can only be applied to tickets issued on 125 stock. In other words tickets issued by BA or BA registered travel agents with ticket numbers beginning 125. Tickets sold by Iberia and American Airlines are issued on different numbered stock and cannot be upgraded using Avios.
Link to post regarding Upgrading using Avios
Earning AA LPs / Award miles etc. BA / British Airways (inc. upgraded flights)
Apr 10, 2016, 9:42 am
#33
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Apr 10, 2016, 10:38 am
#34
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,774
Apr 10, 2016, 2:29 pm
#35
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Jun 6, 2016, 11:53 am
#36
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 63
Low miles to my Advantage account for a BA flight
Am shocked. On a recent paid Glasgow/London flight on BA, I requested that my miles should be posted to my AAdvantage account. I got 86 miles! The flight is closer to 400 miles. Could I have done better?
Jun 6, 2016, 11:54 am
#37
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Jun 6, 2016, 12:35 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
Sounds like you received 25% of the actual miles, so you were on a G, O, or Q fare. The earning rates are published. As rjw242 says, higher fares = higher earnings. That said, I've booked on partners without looking at the fares, and been rather disappointed with the final accrual, but it's up to us to know what we're doing.
Jun 6, 2016, 1:48 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: DTW
Programs: AA Exec Plt , Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 592
Double check just to make sure you didn't actually purchase the AA codeshare. I just completed four segments with QF booked as the AA codeshares. All of them posted to my account with the actual QF flight number instead of AA73XX, however, I earned the correct number of miles on all except one AKL-SYD flight where I got credited as if I had booked the QF number. Happened with all members of my party booked under separate reservations. This will be a fun call to customer service to get that one flight adjusted.
Jul 2, 2016, 7:23 am
#41
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Sep 5, 2016, 6:59 pm
#42
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA ExecPlat
Posts: 94
AAdvantage earning for AA-operated, BA-marketed flights
I'm looking at flights from YVR to CDG. I found one that connects through DFW, all on American-operated flights. If I book through AA it's around $880, and if I book through BA (w/ BA flight numbers) it's $480. What earning rules apply to these flights if I purchase with BA flight numbers?
Sep 5, 2016, 9:21 pm
#43
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Book on BA flight numbers , then you will earn as per the BA earning table. At that price will probably be a 25% mileage earning fare , so will earn 1676 base each way plus 670 gold bonus = 2,346 each way - assuming a round trip will give 4,692 miles
Book on AA flight numbers, then you will earn miles based on dollar spend .
Of the $880 ( assuming CAD) , there will be $188 of taxes , giving eligible earning of $700 which is approx USD541
Base earnings would be 541*5 = 2705 plus 40% gold bonus of 1082 for a total of 3787 miles
Will be cheaper and better off mileage wise ( assuming a r/t journey) on the BA flight numbers
Book on AA flight numbers, then you will earn miles based on dollar spend .
Of the $880 ( assuming CAD) , there will be $188 of taxes , giving eligible earning of $700 which is approx USD541
Base earnings would be 541*5 = 2705 plus 40% gold bonus of 1082 for a total of 3787 miles
Will be cheaper and better off mileage wise ( assuming a r/t journey) on the BA flight numbers
Last edited by Dave Noble; Sep 5, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Sep 18, 2016, 2:06 pm
#44
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: GSP
Posts: 175
Much searching, still didn't really find the answer
Purchasing a discount WT+ (T fare) with BA flight numbers....I want it to credit EQM to my AAdvantage account (1.5 EQM/flown-mile) AND use Avios to upgrade it to business (doesn't qualify for AA mile upgrade since its not full fare WT+ aka W fare).
Possible to do both (earn AA EQM & do Avios upgrade)? Best way to book to hopefully mitigate or minimize potential for U fare not crediting? Buy on BA and upgrade and then call AA after trip to credit miles? Book by calling AA to book BA flight numbers, then call BA to link & upgrade with Avios?
Purchasing a discount WT+ (T fare) with BA flight numbers....I want it to credit EQM to my AAdvantage account (1.5 EQM/flown-mile) AND use Avios to upgrade it to business (doesn't qualify for AA mile upgrade since its not full fare WT+ aka W fare).
Possible to do both (earn AA EQM & do Avios upgrade)? Best way to book to hopefully mitigate or minimize potential for U fare not crediting? Buy on BA and upgrade and then call AA after trip to credit miles? Book by calling AA to book BA flight numbers, then call BA to link & upgrade with Avios?
Last edited by Smahatma; Sep 18, 2016 at 3:35 pm
Nov 22, 2016, 1:05 pm
#45
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
Does BA not have an equivalent of MCE on transatlantic flights e.g. LAX-LHR? It seems much more preferable to book AA metal than BA metal for me because of MCE.