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Old May 16, 2017, 12:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
As of May 20, 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
  1. Elite status
    1. Concierge Key
    2. Executive Platinum
    3. Platinum Pro
    4. Platinum
    5. Gold
  2. Upgrade type
    1. Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades, Business Extra? (SWU)
    2. 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets (including EXP complimentary UDU)
    3. 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards (including EXP complimentary UDU)
    4. BXP Business Extra upgrades

Elite qualifying dollars* in the past 12 months
  • Booking class (in order, J, D, I, W, P, Y, H, K, M, L, V, G, S, N, Q, O, T)
    Time of request


  • *Your 12-month Rolling EQD value is different from your Year-to-Date (YTD) EQDs, which is used to track your progress toward elite status. It includes your EQD earned from reaching qualifying spend thresholds on eligible AAdvantage® AviatorTM MasterCard® cards.

    Link to EQD earning Help Desk thread on FlyerTalk.

    No- or lower status companion and effect on upgrade position

    WAIT LIST, SAME PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
    • 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)
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
        • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status



    WAIT LIST, SEPARATE PNR: Prior to upgrade request going to airport list
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"




    AIRPORT LIST, SAME PNR:
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status. (BX is unsure, but is least of priorities, likely to up D-24 only)
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status



    AIRPORT LIST, SEPARATE PNR:
    • SWU, Miles & Copay: lower status passenger DOES NOT "borrow" higher status under any circumstance
      • 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
        • Business Extra upgrade instruments
          • Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"



    NOTES:
    1. Traveling companion 500 mile upgrades (even for those pax using UDU) "stickers" must pull from higher status passenger's account.
      • Lower status passenger previously "borrowing" higher status may require human processing at the airport to re-establish "borrowed status" linkage


    (Companion information thanks to DW)
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Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend

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Old Dec 1, 2017, 10:54 am
  #346  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
Does checking in positively or adversely affect upgrade requests? Previously time of check in was a factor, but now it's last and I don't want to check in and somehow be skipped in the queue (doubt it will ever get to last tiebreaker so not worried about that).

Thanks!
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Old Dec 1, 2017, 11:00 am
  #347  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
Originally Posted by HofstraJet
Does checking in positively or adversely affect upgrade requests? Previously time of check in was a factor, but now it's last and I don't want to check in and somehow be skipped in the queue (doubt it will ever get to last tiebreaker so not worried about that).

Thanks!
You're not on the airport upgrade list until you check-in (check-in places you on the airport controlled upgrade list - usually you get that notification for non-cleared requested upgrades when you app check in as an example). So in the weird case that a GA would be upgrading folks early (ie after the list opens at T-4 hours but before you had checked in), not being checked in could hurt you. In 99% of cases though the GA doesn't start clearing the airport list until an hour or less before flight.

Otherwise, no effect. You're right that in the very rare case that you have the same EQD and the same upgrade request date as another passenger, check-in time would be the breaker. Hard to see that happening.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 3:20 pm
  #348  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
past two times i flew this for this year i've noticed that i've been on the bottom of the upgrade list. im a low EQD platinum but are there really no golds flying anymore? or could there be some glitch with my status.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 4:58 pm
  #349  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
I don’t believe this is correct. The priority is:

Within elite status
-by type of upgrade, then...

-eqds
- booking code
- request date

Checjin has nothing to do with upgrade priority. It would on standby though.


Originally Posted by lds89
You're not on the airport upgrade list until you check-in (check-in places you on the airport controlled upgrade list - usually you get that notification for non-cleared requested upgrades when you app check in as an example). So in the weird case that a GA would be upgrading folks early (ie after the list opens at T-4 hours but before you had checked in), not being checked in could hurt you. In 99% of cases though the GA doesn't start clearing the airport list until an hour or less before flight.

Otherwise, no effect. You're right that in the very rare case that you have the same EQD and the same upgrade request date as another passenger, check-in time would be the breaker. Hard to see that happening.
​​​​​​​
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 5:06 pm
  #350  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
Originally Posted by Amil
past two times i flew this for this year i've noticed that i've been on the bottom of the upgrade list. im a low EQD platinum but are there really no golds flying anymore? or could there be some glitch with my status.
Are these sub-500 mile flights or longer? If the former, upgrades are complimentary and automatically requested for everyone. I would be surprised to see a Plat at the bottom, unless it was a lightly loaded flight. If longer, there may be Golds on the flight but they chose not to request the upgrade because they either didn't have the available stickers or the upgrade was not worth the cost.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 5:16 pm
  #351  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
Originally Posted by Stripe
Are these sub-500 mile flights or longer? If the former, upgrades are complimentary and automatically requested for everyone. I would be surprised to see a Plat at the bottom, unless it was a lightly loaded flight. If longer, there may be Golds on the flight but they chose not to request the upgrade because they either didn't have the available stickers or the upgrade was not worth the cost.
LAX-YVR I'm doing a LAX-SEA tmw and next week as well. If I continue to be on the bottom of the list I'll know something is up or just a weird coincidence.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 5:42 pm
  #352  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Originally Posted by Amil
LAX-YVR I'm doing a LAX-SEA tmw and next week as well. If I continue to be on the bottom of the list I'll know something is up or just a weird coincidence.
Most GLD/PLT don't request UGs on every flight as it uses stickers/500 mile upgrades. As a result, the UG list is CK/EXP/PPRO and a handful of PLT and GLD.

That you are the bottom isn't that surprising. LAX-YVR and LAX-SEA are both > 500 miles, so that won't say much. If you do LAX-SAN and are at the bottom, then something might be up.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 5:58 pm
  #353  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,009
Originally Posted by Antarius
Most GLD/PLT don't request UGs on every flight as it uses stickers/500 mile upgrades. As a result, the UG list is CK/EXP/PPRO and a handful of PLT and GLD.

That you are the bottom isn't that surprising. LAX-YVR and LAX-SEA are both > 500 miles, so that won't say much. If you do LAX-SAN and are at the bottom, then something might be up.
data point: dfw-sea yesterday I was #10 on the upgrade list out of 48. 2017 my EQD was only $18K so it’s now a bounty for the high EQD folks to get their upgrades (and rightfully so).

FWIW I have no idea why AA doesn’t do away with points or miles requirements anymore. Cash is king and really that’s all that matters to AA.
enviroian is online now  
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 6:18 pm
  #354  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I've had a couple of flights lately where I was the only one on the upgrade list as an EXP.

Then again, I had another flight where there were 48 on the upgrade list. I was no. 1 but didn't clear.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 9:31 pm
  #355  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
Originally Posted by enviroian


data point: dfw-sea yesterday I was #10 on the upgrade list out of 48. 2017 my EQD was only $18K so it’s now a bounty for the high EQD folks to get their upgrades (and rightfully so).

FWIW I have no idea why AA doesn’t do away with points or miles requirements anymore. Cash is king and really that’s all that matters to AA.
That's depressing. "Only" $18K EQD and still #10.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 10:01 pm
  #356  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,009
Originally Posted by Stripe
That's depressing. "Only" $18K EQD and still #10.
I agree but I did get 24B good seat with nothing in front of me. Got my free food item and it ticked off the guy next to me 24C. The flight attendant comes to me and says "Ian, right? Yes. I'll have the cheese plate please". Dude next to me replicated my request but was countered with "$8.95 please" He asked why I got a free meal and the flight attendant told him why. Oh well.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 4:12 am
  #357  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Originally Posted by C17PSGR
I've had a couple of flights lately where I was the only one on the upgrade list as an EXP.

Then again, I had another flight where there were 48 on the upgrade list. I was no. 1 but didn't clear.
Ouch!! Been there! On paid F tix too! Weather in DFW caused me to miss flight. AA put me up for the night and confined me in Y on next flight out in the AM. Was told next available DFW-SFO F seat was a day away. Not worth the wait IMHO.

But I did get exit row aisle and comp drinks and food. FA took care of me. Handed out four of my “Thank you” vouchers.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 9:21 am
  #358  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: DCA | DEN
Programs: AA EXP/2.9mm | Marriott LT Titanium 1.6k nights | NEXUS
Posts: 981
Originally Posted by C17PSGR
I've had a couple of flights lately where I was the only one on the upgrade list as an EXP.

Then again, I had another flight where there were 48 on the upgrade list. I was no. 1 but didn't clear.
Ive done all right this year so far as a probable low tier rolling EQD of 15K. Upgrades for 7 of 8 legs, all domestic. Ive seen as many as 20 on the lists - all my travel has been to or thru DEN, DCA, ORD and DFW.

The only fail was a noon DCA-ORD leg last Sunday. A couple of DC area expos/conventions had wound down and I suspect a few just bought up to J on booking.

There were only 3 of us in the two exit rows and overall coach was only about 60% full.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 9:27 am
  #359  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,009
Originally Posted by Zacnlinc
On paid F tix too
Did you get a refund for difference in fare? At the end of the day you paid for one product but got another, weather withstanding.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 9:52 am
  #360  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
Originally Posted by Stripe
That's depressing. "Only" $18K EQD and still #10.
I'm at 36k EQD and have found myself at #4 - #6 on the upgrade lists out of my home in MIA so far in 2018. Sucks to have moved to a hub!
Last edited by zpaul; Jan 17, 2018 at 10:52 am
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