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)
Feb 28, 2019, 1:05 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,500
This is ridiculous. I am EXP and travelling partner is a newly minted GLD (no stickers). We are flying to Chicago and get upgraded. I cannot check in (not enough stickers in my account) despite my 25+ stickers. So I call and get told they will call back in a half hour. The call back guy (web services) tells me to check in separately (no such option on the app) so I should try via the web. I later try on the web and still no such option. I call back and after 20 minutes on hold am told that they will call me back.
Why is this hard?
Why is this hard?
If you want to pull all the stickers from your account, then its probably easiest at this point to just check in at the airport, where you can instruct the agent to do just that.
Feb 28, 2019, 2:46 pm
#107
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP; BoNVoY Tit LTP
Posts: 1,923
Assuming you're on the same PNR, then your traveling partner needs the stickers in their account, that is the issue. With no prior intervention, when 2 elites are on the same PNR and get upgraded it will try to pull stickers from each individual account.
If you want to pull all the stickers from your account, then its probably easiest at this point to just check in at the airport, where you can instruct the agent to do just that.
If you want to pull all the stickers from your account, then its probably easiest at this point to just check in at the airport, where you can instruct the agent to do just that.
Feb 28, 2019, 4:26 pm
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
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It definitely requires a call, however in the future I would just call the normal reservations number as they can easily set it up (as opposed to web services).
Feb 28, 2019, 5:06 pm
#109
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP; BoNVoY Tit LTP
Posts: 1,923
A final call to a regular agent (following a call with a promised call back that never happened) told me there was nothing that could be done over the phone and I would have to do it at the airport. I will stand in line at the airport to try to get my BP.
Mar 23, 2019, 11:44 pm
#110
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 307
How did this work out for you? I'm just now encountering this for the first time.
Mar 24, 2019, 8:21 pm
#111
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
-FlyerBeek
Dec 6, 2019, 8:25 pm
#112
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold
Posts: 181
My wife (Platinum) and I (Platinum Pro) have run into the problem of being split on the airport list several times, and have had GAs explicitly refuse to fix it. Very annoying. Since she almost never flies AA without me, I'm thinking it would actually be better for her to not re-qualify for AA status at all.
We're taking a trip this month that would get her to Gold, but I'm thinking of having her credit that trip to BA instead. That would make her BA Bronze and possibly allow her to get to Silver in the next year. That same trip will push me to EXP, so when we fly AA together she'll get upgrade priority based on my status, and presumably we won't have any airport list issues since she'll have no status on AA (though would be OW Ruby). Anyone know of a reason that wouldn't work?
We're taking a trip this month that would get her to Gold, but I'm thinking of having her credit that trip to BA instead. That would make her BA Bronze and possibly allow her to get to Silver in the next year. That same trip will push me to EXP, so when we fly AA together she'll get upgrade priority based on my status, and presumably we won't have any airport list issues since she'll have no status on AA (though would be OW Ruby). Anyone know of a reason that wouldn't work?
Dec 7, 2019, 6:36 am
#113
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,500
My wife (Platinum) and I (Platinum Pro) have run into the problem of being split on the airport list several times, and have had GAs explicitly refuse to fix it. Very annoying. Since she almost never flies AA without me, I'm thinking it would actually be better for her to not re-qualify for AA status at all.
We're taking a trip this month that would get her to Gold, but I'm thinking of having her credit that trip to BA instead. That would make her BA Bronze and possibly allow her to get to Silver in the next year. That same trip will push me to EXP, so when we fly AA together she'll get upgrade priority based on my status, and presumably we won't have any airport list issues since she'll have no status on AA (though would be OW Ruby). Anyone know of a reason that wouldn't work?
We're taking a trip this month that would get her to Gold, but I'm thinking of having her credit that trip to BA instead. That would make her BA Bronze and possibly allow her to get to Silver in the next year. That same trip will push me to EXP, so when we fly AA together she'll get upgrade priority based on my status, and presumably we won't have any airport list issues since she'll have no status on AA (though would be OW Ruby). Anyone know of a reason that wouldn't work?
I'm EXP and my gf is PLT, we run into this all the time. You can fix it so that both of you are together by the highest status, but it requires a call to AA, or getting a helpful agent at the airport.
The process is essentially the following: 1) the agent completely removes the companion's AA# and upgrade request, 2) agent re-requests the companion upgrade based on your (highest) status, 3) agent adds back companion's AA#. In order to use the highest status like this for both of you then all stickers must come from your account.
I typically call AA to set it up this way or ask in the AC if it's gone to the airport, it definitely requires a knowledgable agent and a bit of typing. As with a lot of things GA's are totally hit or miss.
Dec 8, 2019, 2:31 pm
#114
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
I recall that what is shown on the monitors is based on status but may not be the order in which you clear, due precisely to companions with lower status.
Are you saying that you have had instances where the higher-status person clears and the lower-status person does not?
Are you saying that you have had instances where the higher-status person clears and the lower-status person does not?
Dec 21, 2021, 8:21 pm
#117
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: STL
Programs: DL, AA, UA, WN, Hyatt, HHonors, Avis Pref+
Posts: 164
I have the same question. I had a reservation with 3 people, and I called to get me and one other on the upgrade list. Now my PNR only has me and that companion. The third in on another PNR. We would have all had a checked bag benefit but now is that limited to me and only one companion?
Dec 21, 2021, 9:04 pm
#118
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Per .com it say the “same. Reservation”.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...ite-status.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...ite-status.jsp
I have the same question. I had a reservation with 3 people, and I called to get me and one other on the upgrade list. Now my PNR only has me and that companion. The third in on another PNR. We would have all had a checked bag benefit but now is that limited to me and only one companion?
Dec 22, 2021, 4:28 am
#119
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: STL
Programs: DL, AA, UA, WN, Hyatt, HHonors, Avis Pref+
Posts: 164
Dec 22, 2021, 5:58 am
#120
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,500
The problem with waiting until after you check-in is of course that you would miss out on any potential upgrades that AA clears before the gate.
The usual question is, how many bags is your group planning to check, and can you not check them all under your and your same PNR companion's name?