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
Jul 25, 2019, 12:42 pm
#451
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
When I looked at it later, it indicated it was for the companion.
I rarely fly AA flights under 500, and this is the first time with a companion since they became free.
Aug 14, 2019, 2:15 pm
#456
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
I've recently noticed if I'm flying multiple legs, the upgrade window starts for all flights when the upgrade window starts for the first flight. This has helped me snag some hard to get upgrades like DFW-LGA on a Monday morning since my first flight was the night before and an easy upgrade.
Have upgrades always been this way? As someone DFW based, I assume I'm getting based over a lot by all the people making connections through DFW.
Have upgrades always been this way? As someone DFW based, I assume I'm getting based over a lot by all the people making connections through DFW.
Dec 1, 2019, 3:52 pm
#457
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 298
Would comp upgrade ever clear before SWU?
I'm specifically talking about domestic complimentary uogrades that start clearing within 5 days. I'm told by AA on the phone that I can only be either on the SWU waitlist or on the complimentary upgrade waitlist. But does that mean that SWUs will only clear into C space, and that if complimentary upgrade space becomes available SWU won't clear into that, even if the SWU elite potentially had higher status/more spend than the comp upgrade one?
Dec 1, 2019, 4:04 pm
#458
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 298
To be more specific about my situation:
I have a flight from Europe to DFW and then on to LAX. The international leg already cleared with SWU, but domestic leg hasn't. It's within 5 days of the flight now (so upgrade window open since I'm EP). I'm wondering if I'm better off on the comp upgrade waitlist if it's the case that SWUs only clear into C, since we all here know that C space is such a unicorn (and at the same time comp upgrades do happen a few days in advance often)
I have a flight from Europe to DFW and then on to LAX. The international leg already cleared with SWU, but domestic leg hasn't. It's within 5 days of the flight now (so upgrade window open since I'm EP). I'm wondering if I'm better off on the comp upgrade waitlist if it's the case that SWUs only clear into C, since we all here know that C space is such a unicorn (and at the same time comp upgrades do happen a few days in advance often)
Dec 1, 2019, 4:57 pm
#459
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,498
I'm specifically talking about domestic complimentary uogrades that start clearing within 5 days. I'm told by AA on the phone that I can only be either on the SWU waitlist or on the complimentary upgrade waitlist. But does that mean that SWUs will only clear into C space, and that if complimentary upgrade space becomes available SWU won't clear into that, even if the SWU elite potentially had higher status/more spend than the comp upgrade one?
To be more specific about my situation:
I have a flight from Europe to DFW and then on to LAX. The international leg already cleared with SWU, but domestic leg hasn't. It's within 5 days of the flight now (so upgrade window open since I'm EP). I'm wondering if I'm better off on the comp upgrade waitlist if it's the case that SWUs only clear into C, since we all here know that C space is such a unicorn (and at the same time comp upgrades do happen a few days in advance often)
I have a flight from Europe to DFW and then on to LAX. The international leg already cleared with SWU, but domestic leg hasn't. It's within 5 days of the flight now (so upgrade window open since I'm EP). I'm wondering if I'm better off on the comp upgrade waitlist if it's the case that SWUs only clear into C, since we all here know that C space is such a unicorn (and at the same time comp upgrades do happen a few days in advance often)
For a flight like DFW-LAX that's only a few days away, it's a complete roll of the dice as to whether it's better to be waitlisted for a SWU or your complimentary domestic upgrade. If things are working like they should then AA should release C space first, however if there are only 1 or 2 seats left then it's also not uncommon for a gate agent to clear comp upgrades and be done with it.
This is where ExpertFlyer can really come in handy, change your waitlist to complimentary domestic upgrade but set an EF alert for C space, if you see C space open up then call AA real fast to grab it.
Dec 2, 2019, 12:01 am
#460
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 298
For a domestic flight like this SWU's can only clear into C space and comp. domestic upgrades can only clear into R space. So if you're waitlisted for a SWU and AA releases comp. upgrade space, you will not be upgraded, and vice versa.
For a flight like DFW-LAX that's only a few days away, it's a complete roll of the dice as to whether it's better to be waitlisted for a SWU or your complimentary domestic upgrade. If things are working like they should then AA should release C space first, however if there are only 1 or 2 seats left then it's also not uncommon for a gate agent to clear comp upgrades and be done with it.
This is where ExpertFlyer can really come in handy, change your waitlist to complimentary domestic upgrade but set an EF alert for C space, if you see C space open up then call AA real fast to grab it.
For a flight like DFW-LAX that's only a few days away, it's a complete roll of the dice as to whether it's better to be waitlisted for a SWU or your complimentary domestic upgrade. If things are working like they should then AA should release C space first, however if there are only 1 or 2 seats left then it's also not uncommon for a gate agent to clear comp upgrades and be done with it.
This is where ExpertFlyer can really come in handy, change your waitlist to complimentary domestic upgrade but set an EF alert for C space, if you see C space open up then call AA real fast to grab it.
Anyways, thanks!
Dec 2, 2019, 10:12 pm
#461
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
I believe under airport control when the PALL list ordering takes over people waitlisting a SWU get listed at higher priority than a sticker upgrade. Now what happens between T-24 to T-30mins I’m not sure (as in does the auto clearing work off the PALL list ordering or still by checking for R and C separately and clearing the top of whatever inventory is released).
Dec 6, 2019, 9:16 pm
#462
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago O'Hare
Programs: AA EXP, LT PLT 2.6MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 678
I believe under airport control when the PALL list ordering takes over people waitlisting a SWU get listed at higher priority than a sticker upgrade. Now what happens between T-24 to T-30mins I’m not sure (as in does the auto clearing work off the PALL list ordering or still by checking for R and C separately and clearing the top of whatever inventory is released).
Dec 31, 2019, 4:13 pm
#463
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 262
How many companions can inherit status with their accompanying elite traveler? (e.g. - HND -> LAX, applying SWU on this flight - if I purchase a ticket for 4 passengers will the SWU upgrade priority include everyone or only one additional companion at most?
Apr 13, 2020, 2:42 pm
#464
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,982
Does anyone know how the news announced today will affect the annual, rolling EQDs for upgrades? Is it being set to 18 or 24 months instead of 12 months? Unfortunately, a lot of people will see a big dip at some point, which can vary depending upon where you live or travel often.
Apr 13, 2020, 5:10 pm
#465
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 270
Does anyone know how the news announced today will affect the annual, rolling EQDs for upgrades? Is it being set to 18 or 24 months instead of 12 months? Unfortunately, a lot of people will see a big dip at some point, which can vary depending upon where you live or travel often.
Also hope it stays that way instead of UA who does by price of individual ticket.
Also since I have started flying again I like this. LOL 😂