Jan 23, 2016, 6:13 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Companion upgrade issues
For general questions about 500 mile upgrades and upgrade protocols, please see this thread:Sticker / 500-mile Electronic Upgrades Protocols (as of 2009, consolidated)
For specific questions about the new upgrade priority and policy, see Upgrade Priority Changes to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Spend May 20 2017
Upgrade Priority Change to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Began 20 May 2017
Upgrade priority is now based on Status held first, then by rolling Elite Qualifying Dollar spend over the last 365 days within upgrade types; see below for new upgrade priority listing and companion policies.
As of May 20 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
Elite status
WAIT LIST, SAME PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
WAIT LIST, SEPARATE PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
AIRPORT LIST, SAME PNR:
AIRPORT LIST, SEPARATE PNR:
Splitting and "Linking" of PNRs
Splitting PNRs: If two people on one PNR request an upgrade, they will not get upgraded (even if they hold higher priority than others on the upgrade list) unless two or more seats become available. Some choose to split their PNR at the airport so the first available single seat will go to one of them. But please note the Companion retains the "borrowed" status only on 500 mile upgrades and the newly split PNRs must be "linked".
Linking PNRs: PNRs can not be recombined nor actually strictly linked as we usually think of it. The "linking" is actually a "TCP note" ("To Complete Party" note) placed as an annotation in the OSI (Other Supplemental Information) field to each PNR. For the note to be useful, an agent must open the PNR and read it.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...solidated.html.
hillrider Googled and found some public info at http://hualin58.blogspot.com/2011/05...ay-delete.html
Older posts relating to policies in effect prior to 20 May 2017 may be read here: ARCHIVE: Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR, etc. (<20 May 2017)
Updated 9 June 2017 by JDiver
For general questions about 500 mile upgrades and upgrade protocols, please see this thread:Sticker / 500-mile Electronic Upgrades Protocols (as of 2009, consolidated)
For specific questions about the new upgrade priority and policy, see Upgrade Priority Changes to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Spend May 20 2017
Upgrade Priority Change to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Began 20 May 2017
Upgrade priority is now based on Status held first, then by rolling Elite Qualifying Dollar spend over the last 365 days within upgrade types; see below for new upgrade priority listing and companion policies.
As of May 20 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
Elite status
- Concierge Key
- Executive Platinum
- Platinum Pro
- Platinum
- Gold
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
- Business Extra and some other instruments
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets
- 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards)
- Booking class
- Time of request"
- Through passengers no longer receive priority over originating passengers
WAIT LIST, SAME PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
- 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status, but breaks at airport; must be re-established.
- SWU, Miles & Copay, Business Extra: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status. (BX is unsure, stated as least of priorities, likely to up D-24 only)
- Award travel (only available on 500 mile upgrade flights): lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
WAIT LIST, SEPARATE PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
- 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
- SWU, Miles & Copay, Business Extra: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
- Award travel (only available on 500 mile upgrade flights): lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
AIRPORT LIST, SAME PNR:
- 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
- SWU, Miles & Copay, Business Extra: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status. (BX is unsure, but is least of priorities, likely to up D-24 only)
- Award travel (only available on 500 mile upgrade flights): lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
AIRPORT LIST, SEPARATE PNR:
- 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked" by edit
- SWU, Miles & Copay, Business Extra: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
- Award travel (only available on 500 mile upgrade flights): lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
- Traveling companion 500 mile upgrades (even for those pax using UDU) "stickers" must pull from higher status passenger's account. 500 mile upgrades are not needed for those with AAdvantage status if the segment to be upgraded is under 500 miles in distance.
- Lower status passenger previously "borrowing" higher status may require human processing at the airport to re-establish "borrowed status" linkage
Splitting and "Linking" of PNRs
Splitting PNRs: If two people on one PNR request an upgrade, they will not get upgraded (even if they hold higher priority than others on the upgrade list) unless two or more seats become available. Some choose to split their PNR at the airport so the first available single seat will go to one of them. But please note the Companion retains the "borrowed" status only on 500 mile upgrades and the newly split PNRs must be "linked".
Linking PNRs: PNRs can not be recombined nor actually strictly linked as we usually think of it. The "linking" is actually a "TCP note" ("To Complete Party" note) placed as an annotation in the OSI (Other Supplemental Information) field to each PNR. For the note to be useful, an agent must open the PNR and read it.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...solidated.html.
hillrider Googled and found some public info at http://hualin58.blogspot.com/2011/05...ay-delete.html
Companions summary: ONE passenger traveling with you can “borrow” your status for upgrade purposes. They do not have to be on the same PNR. When this is done, you’ll not be upgraded unless sufficient upgrade seats become available to upgrade two (or more) people. This link often is broken when the flight control goes to the airport, and it can be reestablished there (e.g. at the gate). A good clue that the link has broken is if you’re #1 or 2 and your companion is significantly below that on the upgrade list, such as #11. Finally, because of IT flaws, the 500 mile upgrades for your traveling companion will by necessity come from your account, even if your companion has their own “stickers”.
Older posts relating to policies in effect prior to 20 May 2017 may be read here: ARCHIVE: Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR, etc. (<20 May 2017)
Updated 9 June 2017 by JDiver
Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR for status etc. (master thread)
May 26, 2022, 9:52 am
#136
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: USA
Programs: AA-EXP; UA-Silver; Bonvoy-Titanium
Posts: 474
So, when two passengers have status, let's say Gold and PlatPro, will the lower passenger (gold) always borrow the higher status of the other passenger (PlatPro)? Or are there any situations where this get screwed up? For example, does it matter who is the first passenger listed on the ticket, etc.? When booking tickets using business amex I have no way to change the order of the passengers (the employee is always primary, etc), and I'm worried it may screw it up. It seems impossible for me to tell until the waitlist is posted at around the 12hr mark, at which point it's usually too late.
May 26, 2022, 10:06 am
#137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
So, when two passengers have status, let's say Gold and PlatPro, will the lower passenger (gold) always borrow the higher status of the other passenger (PlatPro)? Or are there any situations where this get screwed up? For example, does it matter who is the first passenger listed on the ticket, etc.? When booking tickets using business amex I have no way to change the order of the passengers (the employee is always primary, etc), and I'm worried it may screw it up. It seems impossible for me to tell until the waitlist is posted at around the 12hr mark, at which point it's usually too late.
If you want the lower status pax to leverage the other pax's higher status, then you need to call AA beforehand (or see an agent at the airport) to have the upgrade request "fixed" so that both leverage the same higher status (and thus are together on the list). If you do this then all upgrade 500-mi stickers for the companion must come from the higher status pax's account (while stickers are still a thing).
May 28, 2022, 4:10 pm
#138
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 256
This is aggravating.
me: EXP
partner: Platinum
booked to Mexico, same PNR. Applied SWU, cleared 48 hours out. Picked seats. All was fine.
this morning I see I still have my seats but I am also on the upgrade list position 1. Go to Admiral lounge desk and she does some typing and says I’m fine, it’s some system glitch.
board flight. Seats are fine. After takeoff I see in the app that my locator code has changed and my partner is no longer visible on my booking.
I called the EXP desk on landing and the supervisor says the agent at the airport split our PNR. I asked why.
she said I would have been warned. I wasn’t.
we fly home next weekend, 4 seats available but me being EXP and her being Plat means I will potentially get upgraded with the other EXPs and she won’t get a chance until after CK, EXP and PPro.
exp desk said there’s no way to connect us again. I told them it’s their fault for breaking it without warning me
Any thoughts?
me: EXP
partner: Platinum
booked to Mexico, same PNR. Applied SWU, cleared 48 hours out. Picked seats. All was fine.
this morning I see I still have my seats but I am also on the upgrade list position 1. Go to Admiral lounge desk and she does some typing and says I’m fine, it’s some system glitch.
board flight. Seats are fine. After takeoff I see in the app that my locator code has changed and my partner is no longer visible on my booking.
I called the EXP desk on landing and the supervisor says the agent at the airport split our PNR. I asked why.
she said I would have been warned. I wasn’t.
we fly home next weekend, 4 seats available but me being EXP and her being Plat means I will potentially get upgraded with the other EXPs and she won’t get a chance until after CK, EXP and PPro.
exp desk said there’s no way to connect us again. I told them it’s their fault for breaking it without warning me
Any thoughts?
May 28, 2022, 4:18 pm
#139
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
This is aggravating.
me: EXP
partner: Platinum
booked to Mexico, same PNR. Applied SWU, cleared 48 hours out. Picked seats. All was fine.
this morning I see I still have my seats but I am also on the upgrade list position 1. Go to Admiral lounge desk and she does some typing and says I’m fine, it’s some system glitch.
board flight. Seats are fine. After takeoff I see in the app that my locator code has changed and my partner is no longer visible on my booking.
I called the EXP desk on landing and the supervisor says the agent at the airport split our PNR. I asked why.
she said I would have been warned. I wasn’t.
we fly home next weekend, 4 seats available but me being EXP and her being Plat means I will potentially get upgraded with the other EXPs and she won’t get a chance until after CK, EXP and PPro.
exp desk said there’s no way to connect us again. I told them it’s their fault for breaking it without warning me
Any thoughts?
me: EXP
partner: Platinum
booked to Mexico, same PNR. Applied SWU, cleared 48 hours out. Picked seats. All was fine.
this morning I see I still have my seats but I am also on the upgrade list position 1. Go to Admiral lounge desk and she does some typing and says I’m fine, it’s some system glitch.
board flight. Seats are fine. After takeoff I see in the app that my locator code has changed and my partner is no longer visible on my booking.
I called the EXP desk on landing and the supervisor says the agent at the airport split our PNR. I asked why.
she said I would have been warned. I wasn’t.
we fly home next weekend, 4 seats available but me being EXP and her being Plat means I will potentially get upgraded with the other EXPs and she won’t get a chance until after CK, EXP and PPro.
exp desk said there’s no way to connect us again. I told them it’s their fault for breaking it without warning me
Any thoughts?
You can't upgrade without your companion and not split.
May 28, 2022, 6:58 pm
#140
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 256
I wasn’t going to upgrade unless it was both of us, which it was 48 hours out.
so whoever split the PNR really screwed us this international trip, and there’s no way to undo it even tho I never approved of it or was warned?
May 29, 2022, 11:48 am
#142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
With the right level of supervisors on the line could they cancel both tickets, reissue as one reservation, and waive any fare difference?
May 29, 2022, 3:27 pm
#143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,389
Am I missing something here? The OP said the companion was on a separate PNR. If you can request a no-split upgrade on separate PNRs, that's news to me. PNR linking is hinky even at the best of times.
May 29, 2022, 3:31 pm
#144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
OP stated same PNR. Applied SWUs for both, and for some reason was split (which screws up the return trip)
Jun 1, 2022, 2:07 am
#145
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 3
Upgrades not linking correctly?
My wife (no status) and I (EP) are flying from AUS - LIH roundtrip. I used 4 SWUs to upgrade both of us on both legs. On the outbound there was room in first for 1 so we took it. As a result it split our reservation up and on the return it put her on the bottom of the list of the return.
I called reservations and they said it’s not an issue, just let the gate agent know your status and when it links, it’ll put her to #1 on the list since everyone else was using mileage upgrades rather than VIP/SWUs.
Of course that was too good to be true because the gate agent said she has to go down the list and she can’t bump someone last to #1. There was nothing she could do. The system showed she was using a VIP but it was using her non-status to prioritize the list.
Who do you even complain about something like this? Thoughts from the ft community?
I called reservations and they said it’s not an issue, just let the gate agent know your status and when it links, it’ll put her to #1 on the list since everyone else was using mileage upgrades rather than VIP/SWUs.
Of course that was too good to be true because the gate agent said she has to go down the list and she can’t bump someone last to #1. There was nothing she could do. The system showed she was using a VIP but it was using her non-status to prioritize the list.
Who do you even complain about something like this? Thoughts from the ft community?
Jun 1, 2022, 2:47 am
#146
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
According to this thread when PNRs get split, and SWUs are being used the companion loses the ability to inherit the sponsors status:
Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR for status etc. (master thread)
Companion upgrade issues including "link" / split PNR for status etc. (master thread)
Jun 1, 2022, 3:02 am
#147
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
My wife (no status) and I (EP) are flying from AUS - LIH roundtrip. I used 4 SWUs to upgrade both of us on both legs. On the outbound there was room in first for 1 so we took it. As a result it split our reservation up and on the return it put her on the bottom of the list of the return.
I called reservations and they said it’s not an issue, just let the gate agent know your status and when it links, it’ll put her to #1 on the list since everyone else was using mileage upgrades rather than VIP/SWUs.
Of course that was too good to be true because the gate agent said she has to go down the list and she can’t bump someone last to #1. There was nothing she could do. The system showed she was using a VIP but it was using her non-status to prioritize the list.
Who do you even complain about something like this? Thoughts from the ft community?
I called reservations and they said it’s not an issue, just let the gate agent know your status and when it links, it’ll put her to #1 on the list since everyone else was using mileage upgrades rather than VIP/SWUs.
Of course that was too good to be true because the gate agent said she has to go down the list and she can’t bump someone last to #1. There was nothing she could do. The system showed she was using a VIP but it was using her non-status to prioritize the list.
Who do you even complain about something like this? Thoughts from the ft community?
In the future, consider upgrading the non-status companion in advance so you’ll be at or near the top of the list at the airport and the non-status companion is already confirmed up front.
Jun 1, 2022, 3:51 am
#148
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
It is super funky and probably more of an IT limitation than intended policy. Doesn’t make sense that by design, on separate but linked PNRs sticker upgrades could inherit status but SWUs can’t. I think if the guide is still correct today, requesting a sticker upgrade could have (with a skilled gate agent) allowed his companion to inherit the EXP status where using the SWU prevented that from being possible. It’s so confusing that the reservations agent gave the OP bad advice because they probably don’t even understand the nuances. They assumed that since sticker upgrades on split reservations can be linked and successfully inherit the sponsors status even on split records at the airport that the same would be true for SWUs which take priority over sticker upgrades. But unfortunately they take priority only within a status group and since OPs wife had no status and SWUs in fact don’t inherit status on linked PNRs like stickers do she ended up below all other passengers with status even when using a SWU. I’m sure the reservations agent thought that by linking the Split PNR to the OPs EXP PNR they would inherit EXP SWU status which turned out be incorrect advice.
also I think the OPs original post suggested that they split the record because one seat was available on the outbound but had issues linking the records on the return? But generally good advice that when only one seat is available best to upgrade the non status companion when you have the choice (non auto upgrade) even though that wouldn’t have helped the OP in this instance. I bet if he was a smart husband that’s what he did on the outbound!
also I think the OPs original post suggested that they split the record because one seat was available on the outbound but had issues linking the records on the return? But generally good advice that when only one seat is available best to upgrade the non status companion when you have the choice (non auto upgrade) even though that wouldn’t have helped the OP in this instance. I bet if he was a smart husband that’s what he did on the outbound!
Last edited by lightbulbs; Jun 1, 2022 at 3:57 am
Jun 1, 2022, 12:30 pm
#149
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: DFW
Programs: AA PlatPro, AS
Posts: 142
Was the return showing C2+ when you requested the upgrades? I had a similar situation with mileage upgrades for DFW-KOA last year as a Gold and non-status companion. There was only 1 outbound seat but C7 on the return, so I think the agent must have processed the return upgrades before splitting the reservation, or maybe there weren’t pending requests ahead of me. All 3 upgrades were confirmed when I called Reservations, about 2 weeks before the trip.
Jun 1, 2022, 5:29 pm
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,389
You don’t complain to anyone. That’s how it’s supposed to work. If you split the record, the companion loses your benefits. The gate agent was 100% correct.
In the future, consider upgrading the non-status companion in advance so you’ll be at or near the top of the list at the airport and the non-status companion is already confirmed up front.
In the future, consider upgrading the non-status companion in advance so you’ll be at or near the top of the list at the airport and the non-status companion is already confirmed up front.