Last edit by: JDiver
Chances of Upgrade Request Clearing
NOTE: Be aware of recent (20 May 2017) upgrade priority changes.
"New Upgrade Priority as of 20 May 2017
(Upgrades were prioritized by elite status and then time of request until 20 May 2017)
- Elite status
- Concierge Key
- Executive Platinum
- Platinum Pro
- Platinum
- Gold
- Upgrade type
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets
- 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards)
- Elite qualifying dollars in the past 12 months
- Booking class
- Time of request"
See Upgrade Priority Changes to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Spend May 20 2017
U]Link[/U] to Gary Leff, View From the Wing 16 May 2017
Updated 22 May 2017 by JDiver
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2017 Chances of Upgrade Clearing and Availability (consolidated)
#151
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 239
Hi all. I know AA doesn't usually release C space until right before a flight, but I'm getting nervous and wanted to check thoughts for my miles+copay upgrade as a Plat travelling with a Gold companion.
AA169 LAX-NRT tommorrow is a 772 with 37J/52MCE config.
19 BIZ seats are open on the seat map.
22 MCE seats are taken on the seat map (only 5 taken when we booked)
Expert flyer is currently showing J7 R7 D7 I3 C0
Question 1: Think we'll make it before the gate?
Question 2: Does my companion's priority drop down on the airport list if we don't get upgraded beforehand?
Thanks!
AA169 LAX-NRT tommorrow is a 772 with 37J/52MCE config.
19 BIZ seats are open on the seat map.
22 MCE seats are taken on the seat map (only 5 taken when we booked)
Expert flyer is currently showing J7 R7 D7 I3 C0
Question 1: Think we'll make it before the gate?
Question 2: Does my companion's priority drop down on the airport list if we don't get upgraded beforehand?
Thanks!
#152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,437
Hi all. I know AA doesn't usually release C space until right before a flight, but I'm getting nervous and wanted to check thoughts for my miles+copay upgrade as a Plat travelling with a Gold companion.
AA169 LAX-NRT tommorrow is a 772 with 37J/52MCE config.
19 BIZ seats are open on the seat map.
22 MCE seats are taken on the seat map (only 5 taken when we booked)
Expert flyer is currently showing J7 R7 D7 I3 C0
Question 1: Think we'll make it before the gate?
Question 2: Does my companion's priority drop down on the airport list if we don't get upgraded beforehand?
Thanks!
AA169 LAX-NRT tommorrow is a 772 with 37J/52MCE config.
19 BIZ seats are open on the seat map.
22 MCE seats are taken on the seat map (only 5 taken when we booked)
Expert flyer is currently showing J7 R7 D7 I3 C0
Question 1: Think we'll make it before the gate?
Question 2: Does my companion's priority drop down on the airport list if we don't get upgraded beforehand?
Thanks!
#153
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 239
Just called AA and they said they see C7 but can't force the upgrade because I'm still on the waitlist. Is this a HUCA situation or is she right?
#154
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Well I'm back from a great time in Hong Kong. My SWUs cleared around T-72 both ways (1/26 COU-DFW-HKG, 2/1 reverse). My upgrade alerts in EF never went off (for the big leg anyway, I did get notified on the COU-DFW outbound), but that's been well-explained already, so thanks.
Pro tip: there are manual seat controls and a power reset under the middle cushion of the J seats on a 77W (and many others). My seat broke on the way over (movement buttons just didn't work), but I was able to manually set it with those controls. Showed the FAs how it worked since none of them apparently knew.
Pro tip: there are manual seat controls and a power reset under the middle cushion of the J seats on a 77W (and many others). My seat broke on the way over (movement buttons just didn't work), but I was able to manually set it with those controls. Showed the FAs how it worked since none of them apparently knew.
#155
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,437
If you haven't cleared yet I'd call back. Some AAgents will refuse to process it if they see you're on the waitlist, while others will grab the C space and push it through. The flight is still C7 so it shouldn't be an issue.
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,212
ANyone else had any experiences in this?
#157
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 239
Thanks! I was about to call back and got an update from TripCase that it cleared. Now at C4 so I guess they are processing the list. So relieved!
#158
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 239
EDIT: In this case, seems C was available at C7 for about 3 hours before they started processing the list.
Last edited by sosfo; Feb 2, 2017 at 12:18 pm
#159
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,437
I don't mind the principle of banning jumping the line. I get that's not really fair. But when C opens, if they don't process the list right away, wouldn't someone who then bought a ticket, or who wasn't already on the waitlist be instantly confirmable since C is available? Or do they see the list and put those requests into the queue?
EDIT: In this case, seems C was available at C7 for about 3 hours before they started processing the list.
EDIT: In this case, seems C was available at C7 for about 3 hours before they started processing the list.
One time last year I called but got an AAgent that said I was already on the waitlist and it would process accordingly. I confirmed that she could see the upgrade space, and mentioned that if I had just bought the ticket today she could grab the upgrade. She said yea, that doesn't make sense, and went ahead and processed my upgrade.
#160
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Of course I don't actually care much about the waitlist order. I just think it's worth actually examining our preconceptions on stuff like this.
#161
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 866
I'm not sure what "fair" is in this context. I think you might really mean "orderly" instead without noticing. What's "fair" about earlier bookings being ahead in the waitlist? Whatever case there is for that, there's a similarly-reasonable one for prioritizing people who care enough to watch inventory and call. And you could say it's "fairer" to use really out-there criteria, like giving seniors or students priority, or going in random order. Time-of-booking seems right because we're used to it, but there's no intrinsic virtue in booking early.
Of course I don't actually care much about the waitlist order. I just think it's worth actually examining our preconceptions on stuff like this.
Of course I don't actually care much about the waitlist order. I just think it's worth actually examining our preconceptions on stuff like this.
I think AA has made it clear what fair means to the airline: the passenger who spends more gets to the top of the list regardless of time of booking, as will be the system soon enough. Whether or not calling in to jump the waitlist when spotting C space will still work is anyone's guess, but I imagine AA is not ignorant to the fact that it does happen. Given how many benefits have been removed over the last year or so, I'd be surprised if this loophole remains open much longer before management comes down hard on employees who offer this type of help. This is only my speculation, but I'd wager to guess that AA would deem "line jumping" by calling in to be unfair.
#162
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Austin, TX - AUS
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 1,625
I think AA has made it clear what fair means to the airline: the passenger who spends more gets to the top of the list regardless of time of booking, as will be the system soon enough. Whether or not calling in to jump the waitlist when spotting C space will still work is anyone's guess, but I imagine AA is not ignorant to the fact that it does happen. Given how many benefits have been removed over the last year or so, I'd be surprised if this loophole remains open much longer before management comes down hard on employees who offer this type of help. This is only my speculation, but I'd wager to guess that AA would deem "line jumping" by calling in to be unfair.
#163
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
When talking about fair, you missed spend Many folks who are forced to book last minute pay much higher fares find themselves lower down the upgrade list than those who book several months out, often at comparatively rock-bottom fares...surely the argument could be made that this also isn't fair.
I think AA has made it clear what fair means to the airline: the passenger who spends more gets to the top of the list regardless of time of booking, as will be the system soon enough. Whether or not calling in to jump the waitlist when spotting C space will still work is anyone's guess, but I imagine AA is not ignorant to the fact that it does happen. Given how many benefits have been removed over the last year or so, I'd be surprised if this loophole remains open much longer before management comes down hard on employees who offer this type of help. This is only my speculation, but I'd wager to guess that AA would deem "line jumping" by calling in to be unfair.
To reiterate, I don't care much how they order the list, or whether line-jumping goes away. My comment was pretty narrowly intended to challenge the assumption that whatever rule is in place today is somehow a priori fair/right.
#164
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 866
As a former US elite, I remember their loophole under the UDU policy well- once OLCI began at T-24, ANY elite could snag a remaining F seat by simply checking/rechecking in, regardless of how long the upgrade waitlist was. I benefited from this several times, often only minutes before boarding. I also was bitten by this on occasion as well- when I saw a seat but wasn't fast enough (sometimes due to poor internet connection!) and another elite beat me to it. While it was a nice loophole when it worked in your favor, I'm honestly kind of glad it's been closed. It was far from fair!
#165
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723