May 16, 2017, 12:53 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
As of May 20, 2017 upgrade prioritization is:
Elite qualifying dollars* in the past 12 months
- Elite status
- Concierge Key
- Executive Platinum
- Platinum Pro
- Platinum
- Gold
- Upgrade type
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades, Business Extra? (SWU)
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets (including EXP complimentary UDU)
- 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards (including EXP complimentary UDU)
- 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
- 500 mile / UDU: 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"
- Award travel: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
- Business Extra upgrade instruments
- 500 mile / UDU: 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
- Business Extra upgrade instruments
- 500 mile / UDU: 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"
- Business Extra upgrade instruments
- 500 mile / UDU: lower status passenger "borrows" higher status IF PNRs "linked"
NOTES:- 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)
- 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)
Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend
Sep 23, 2017, 6:03 pm
#331
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,318
wow you must be on some CK heavy flights or doing just the consulting run mon am and thurs pm. That, or booking last minute. They are now regularly clearing flights much earlier than before. With new system I've seen no drop off, I fly almost all mainline lots of SFO-DFW and transcons from SFO to CLT, PHL and running 85% on the year. Also have enjoyed that since they've fixed the IT glitches and I'm getting upgraded a few days before the flight I can do meal selection. YMMV, I guess
Sep 24, 2017, 4:58 am
#332
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
Sep 24, 2017, 11:12 pm
#333
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
wow you must be on some CK heavy flights or doing just the consulting run mon am and thurs pm. That, or booking last minute. They are now regularly clearing flights much earlier than before. With new system I've seen no drop off, I fly almost all mainline lots of SFO-DFW and transcons from SFO to CLT, PHL and running 85% on the year. Also have enjoyed that since they've fixed the IT glitches and I'm getting upgraded a few days before the flight I can do meal selection. YMMV, I guess
Booking 3-5 weeks in advance.
Sep 27, 2017, 1:30 pm
#334
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Portland, OR.
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 607
Quick question, I'm PPro and flying from PDX-DFW-LGA. I woke this morning to receive a notification of upgrade about 8 minutes after the 72 hour deadline passed for my PDX-DFW flight. I'm now a couple of hours past the 72 window for my DFW-LGA segment and haven't received anything (shows about 8 open seats). How long after clearing the window 72, 48 etc, do you usually hear about upgrades. Thanks
Sep 27, 2017, 1:58 pm
#335
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
Quick question, I'm PPro and flying from PDX-DFW-LGA. I woke this morning to receive a notification of upgrade about 8 minutes after the 72 hour deadline passed for my PDX-DFW flight. I'm now a couple of hours past the 72 window for my DFW-LGA segment and haven't received anything (shows about 8 open seats). How long after clearing the window 72, 48 etc, do you usually hear about upgrades. Thanks
Sep 27, 2017, 2:51 pm
#336
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Quick question, I'm PPro and flying from PDX-DFW-LGA. I woke this morning to receive a notification of upgrade about 8 minutes after the 72 hour deadline passed for my PDX-DFW flight. I'm now a couple of hours past the 72 window for my DFW-LGA segment and haven't received anything (shows about 8 open seats). How long after clearing the window 72, 48 etc, do you usually hear about upgrades. Thanks
Sep 27, 2017, 7:17 pm
#338
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
Oct 23, 2017, 9:56 am
#339
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,382
PALL anomaly
I experienced a strange PALL list anomaly yesterday, October 22. Flight 590 -- I am EXP and was travelling on a "G" fare.
I had been ticketed on this flight for several weeks, and I checked in at T-23 hours. The upgrade list was visible on my phone around T-6, and at that time I was #2 . Didn't think much of it, but I did remember the name code of #1 . When I arrived in Phoenix, I checked my phone again, and now the order had reversed -- I was #1 and this same other person was now #2 . I asked the AAngel at the B-8 Admirals Club, and she showed me her computer, and lo and behold, this other man was now #1 and I was now #2 -- I also noticed he was also an EXP, but on a slightly higher fare, "L."
I refreshed my phone, and indeed I returned as #2 . I went to the gate at T-45 minutes, and noticed I was number one on the Gate Information screen behind the GAs. I asked the two gate agents what they saw on their workstations -- one had me as #1 , the other had me as #2 -- and I showed them that my own phone would swap the two rankings intermittently. The gate agent who had me as #2 logged out and logged back in, and then said I was now #1 . She quickly cleared my upgrade and gave me the boarding card (last seat in F).
From this point forward, I showed as cleared (check mark) on the GIDS board and on my phone. The other man sat in coach, perhaps unaware of this strange system behavior.
Questions: (1) what happened here? (2) It the third order of ranking (trailing year total spend) have some variable in it that would change periodically? or perhaps (3) if trailing year total spend was intermittently not available (or available at zero for all passengers), would the PALL list then defer to the fourth order of ranking, fare class, in which case the other passenger would outrank me?
I had been ticketed on this flight for several weeks, and I checked in at T-23 hours. The upgrade list was visible on my phone around T-6, and at that time I was #2 . Didn't think much of it, but I did remember the name code of #1 . When I arrived in Phoenix, I checked my phone again, and now the order had reversed -- I was #1 and this same other person was now #2 . I asked the AAngel at the B-8 Admirals Club, and she showed me her computer, and lo and behold, this other man was now #1 and I was now #2 -- I also noticed he was also an EXP, but on a slightly higher fare, "L."
I refreshed my phone, and indeed I returned as #2 . I went to the gate at T-45 minutes, and noticed I was number one on the Gate Information screen behind the GAs. I asked the two gate agents what they saw on their workstations -- one had me as #1 , the other had me as #2 -- and I showed them that my own phone would swap the two rankings intermittently. The gate agent who had me as #2 logged out and logged back in, and then said I was now #1 . She quickly cleared my upgrade and gave me the boarding card (last seat in F).
From this point forward, I showed as cleared (check mark) on the GIDS board and on my phone. The other man sat in coach, perhaps unaware of this strange system behavior.
Questions: (1) what happened here? (2) It the third order of ranking (trailing year total spend) have some variable in it that would change periodically? or perhaps (3) if trailing year total spend was intermittently not available (or available at zero for all passengers), would the PALL list then defer to the fourth order of ranking, fare class, in which case the other passenger would outrank me?
Oct 24, 2017, 8:37 am
#340
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,382
I experienced a strange PALL list anomaly yesterday, October 22. Flight 590 -- I am EXP and was travelling on a "G" fare.
I had been ticketed on this flight for several weeks, and I checked in at T-23 hours. The upgrade list was visible on my phone around T-6, and at that time I was passenger #2 . Didn't think much of it, but I did note the coded name of passenger #1 . When I arrived from my inbound flight into Phoenix, I checked my phone again, and now the order had reversed -- I was #1 and this same other person was now #2 . I asked the AAngel at the B-8 Admirals Club, and she showed me her computer, and lo and behold, this other man was now #1 and I was now #2 -- I also noticed he was also an EXP, but on a slightly higher fare, "L."
I went to the gate at T-45 minutes, and noticed I was number one on the Gate Information screen behind the GAs. I asked the two gate agents what they saw on their workstations -- one had me as #1 , the other had me as #2 -- and I told them that my own phone would swap the two rankings intermittently. The gate agent who had me in the second position logged out and logged back in, and then said I was now at the top of her list also . She quickly cleared my upgrade and gave me the boarding card (last seat in F).
From this point forward, I showed as cleared (check mark) on the GIDS board and on my phone. The other man sat in coach, perhaps unaware of this strange system behavior.
Questions: (1) what happened here? (2) Does the third order of ranking (trailing year total spend) have some variable in it that would change periodically? or perhaps (3) if trailing year total spend was intermittently not available (or available at zero for all passengers), would the PALL list then defer to the fourth order of ranking, fare class, in which case the other passenger would outrank me?
I had been ticketed on this flight for several weeks, and I checked in at T-23 hours. The upgrade list was visible on my phone around T-6, and at that time I was passenger #2 . Didn't think much of it, but I did note the coded name of passenger #1 . When I arrived from my inbound flight into Phoenix, I checked my phone again, and now the order had reversed -- I was #1 and this same other person was now #2 . I asked the AAngel at the B-8 Admirals Club, and she showed me her computer, and lo and behold, this other man was now #1 and I was now #2 -- I also noticed he was also an EXP, but on a slightly higher fare, "L."
I went to the gate at T-45 minutes, and noticed I was number one on the Gate Information screen behind the GAs. I asked the two gate agents what they saw on their workstations -- one had me as #1 , the other had me as #2 -- and I told them that my own phone would swap the two rankings intermittently. The gate agent who had me in the second position logged out and logged back in, and then said I was now at the top of her list also . She quickly cleared my upgrade and gave me the boarding card (last seat in F).
From this point forward, I showed as cleared (check mark) on the GIDS board and on my phone. The other man sat in coach, perhaps unaware of this strange system behavior.
Questions: (1) what happened here? (2) Does the third order of ranking (trailing year total spend) have some variable in it that would change periodically? or perhaps (3) if trailing year total spend was intermittently not available (or available at zero for all passengers), would the PALL list then defer to the fourth order of ranking, fare class, in which case the other passenger would outrank me?
Oct 24, 2017, 9:14 am
#341
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Oct 24, 2017, 10:08 am
#342
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: US CP, MR Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 441
I experienced this a few days ago on HKG-DFW. The PALL list showed me #1 at T-4 then would intermittently drop me to #4 then #1 0. Around T-1.5 I was fairly consistently holding at #4 and occasionally would be dropped to #7 and #1 0.
The flight was showing F1 J0 so I didn't bother asking about it. But when I scanned my BP at boarding an error came up and they handed me an upgraded J ticket. I was shocked. I looked at the PALL list on my phone to see what happened and I saw that #1 and #4 (me) were upgraded, thereby seemingly skipping over #s 2 and 3, although I'm not positive as the app could have been malfunctioning. Really have no idea what happened but I didn't complain in this instance.
Go Gators
The flight was showing F1 J0 so I didn't bother asking about it. But when I scanned my BP at boarding an error came up and they handed me an upgraded J ticket. I was shocked. I looked at the PALL list on my phone to see what happened and I saw that #1 and #4 (me) were upgraded, thereby seemingly skipping over #s 2 and 3, although I'm not positive as the app could have been malfunctioning. Really have no idea what happened but I didn't complain in this instance.
Go Gators
Oct 25, 2017, 7:17 am
#343
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: EWR
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 13
Yes - on an EWR-DFW on 22Oct, the list kept showing me flip between #2 and #6 , and the order of the rest of the list also shuffled around. I could even bring the two "versions" of the list up at the same time on two different phones. Not sure which was the "correct" version (as even the gate displaying was alternating between both) but at the point they began processing upgrades at the gate they went through the version on which I was #6 , and #2 got the last upgrade, so either that was correct or I just got unlucky with timing. On the version on which I was #2 , I was ahead of the individual getting the last upgrade.
Good to hear it's fixed - it was very bizarre to see.
Good to hear it's fixed - it was very bizarre to see.
Oct 25, 2017, 7:26 am
#344
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Seems to have happened to a lot of people in the past few days: UG Waitlist; 2nd to 1st to 2nd (late Oct 2017)
Apparently an IT glitch that has reportedly been fixed.
Apparently an IT glitch that has reportedly been fixed.
Nov 10, 2017, 4:49 pm
#345
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,515
Wow....
I’ve flown PHX-LAX probably 25 times as an AA EXP and DL DM.
On this route, I have never once missed an upgrade, and a majority of my tickets are award tickets.
My EXP status and probably extremely low EQDs (I’m a mileage runner) put me at #4 for 1 seat on my flight tonight. This was a paid ticket, and there are 31 upgrade requests.
The rolling EQDs are alive!!!!
I’ve flown PHX-LAX probably 25 times as an AA EXP and DL DM.
On this route, I have never once missed an upgrade, and a majority of my tickets are award tickets.
My EXP status and probably extremely low EQDs (I’m a mileage runner) put me at #4 for 1 seat on my flight tonight. This was a paid ticket, and there are 31 upgrade requests.
The rolling EQDs are alive!!!!
Last edited by 355F1; Nov 10, 2017 at 5:22 pm