larryuva

Requesting help and the expertise of fellow FFs here. Had originally booked a ticket on Feb 24, 2016 for travel on Aug 20, 2016, route is LGA-DFW-HKG but returning HKG-DFW-JFK. Called EXPLAT desk on same day (Feb 24) to request SWU be applied in both directions.

Anyway, AA called on July 30 to say there has been a schedule change and asked if I wanted to do HKG-DFW-LGA which will get me back around the same time as my original itinerary. Fine by me. But when I logged into the account my itinerary was shown as ticketed on July 30, 2016. I called to confirm if my SWUs were still dated as of Feb 24, and the agent said first of all that I was accidentally removed (!!) from the upgrade list and that I had to be put back on it but they cannot backdate it to Feb 24. MC and MCE are full and I'm at the bottom of the upgrade queue despite booking with a completely empty plane in Feb.

Agent said that the systems cannot handle backdating so there's no way around this and even conceded it is unfair. Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, is there a workaround? Thanks!

arollins

Call again. That is rubbish. You must have had an US agent. My understanding is that the original purchase date is what counts, no matter if any changes occur along the way. However, keep in mind thought that HKG-DFW is a tough upgrade.

As for the seats assignment, something appears odd to me, since you are keeping the same segment from the beginning, just changing the last leg of the return.

sukn

Once lost, no way to get the original eVIP time-stamp back.

Normally you do not lose the time stamp for the long-haul segment if all you changed was the domestic portion.

One of two things happened here. You were never on the list, or the agent did not re-issue the ticket properly with the schedule change.

JonNYC

That's always been my impression as well.

DL2SXM

to the OP, I see plenty of MC+ available for August 20th on the long haul. 18A is showing as being available.

larryuva

Thanks all for your responses. After trying two agents as well as the Twitter AA team, all of whom were no help, I finally spoke to a supervisor who said that my timestamp has not changed from the original booking date. Really makes me wonder who's right and who's right / what on earth is going on with their IT systems / how is there such a wide disparity between the proficiency levels of EXPLAT CSRs...The supervisor also made a note in my file and told me to check in with the GAs/lounge CSRs if I find myself at the bottom of the list/left off the list - not a bad outcome in the end I suppose.

mikena

Similar situation, but complete re-routing. Original routing MSP-ORD-LHR in November, wait-listed for an upgrade in July. Today AA changed their schedule and there are no ORD-LHR flights on my travel dates, only BA which is not going to work for an upgrade. Called to change for MSP-DFW-LHR, was put on the wait-list again. 2 agents said SWU cannot be backtracked to the original date. AA answered the same on Twitter with "we'll be #crossingourfingers" sure you will.
Anything can be done? Seems to be unfair but looks like no other options?..

sukn

Nothing can be done. Even in situations say where your flight didn't change but you took yourself off the list and then put yourself back on -- you would still lose the original time-stamp. It just works differently than the sticker upgrades where your time-stamp is retained as long as any and all changes are made within the PNR.

AAExecPlatFlier

If you have a new waitlist for C you have a new timestamp. Absolutely no way around this. They can make all of the comments they want in the PNR but don't expect a GA to pull every single person's PNR, go to the waitlist history and crate a manual upgrade priority.

nrr

There known instances where pax learned that "C" class became available (an alert from ExpertFlyer); whoever called in first jumped the queue.

SFO_FT

What days does AA have no service at all? I would assume that even on Thanksgiving or Christmas, AA would operate at least one service.

mikena

Thanks for a hint, have my alerts set up in EF.

Nov 23-24

billgrates3

FYI - I don't know whether I jumped the queue or not, but dozens of times I've gotten an EF alert for C inventory, called the EXP line, and been immediately upgraded Y->J.
Last Nov. I even called to change routing after getting the EF alert, and was also upgraded right away (paid only a $275 change fee).