Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend

Register
Community
Wiki Posts
Today's Posts
Search
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)
Print Wikipost

Upgrade Priority: Status, Upgrade Type, Rolling 12 Month EQD Spend

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 16, 2017, 1:11 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,658
Surprising they added in the fare code priority for situations where EQD is equal. It would be very rare situation if two Elites within the same level have the same EQD.

Likely timestamp would have been sufficient in such a rare case.
cova is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:12 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: AA EXP, Hertz Gold Plus, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 338
This is where the Barclaycard EQD's hopefully will come in handy. Although I'm still way behind higher level elites, maybe being a lowly PLT won't be as bad if only PLTs and GLDs are on my flight..
Last edited by taxatty56; May 16, 2017 at 6:27 pm
taxatty56 is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:13 pm
  #18  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Originally Posted by gary_nj
Any idea how this will work for sponsored upgrades with a SWU for international travel? I presume the status level of the sponsor will stick with the request at least until some time close to the airport.
I don't see any reason to assume that, passenger's status is there own is how it is now.
JonNYC is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:14 pm
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75k, AAdvantage Executive Platinum
Posts: 197
Originally Posted by grrizzli
Points 4 and 5 will be in play when pax have 0 EQDs. One can still be an EXP without spending a dollar on AA in the past 12 months.
There could be a few EXPs who qualified in the first seven months of 2016 and haven't flown revenue since, but I'd think that to be exceedingly rare. Those elites would disappear next year anyways.
ORD-DCA Flyer is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:16 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,644
I guess this will also apply to upgrades to Business when the PE cabin exists??
carlosdca is online now  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:17 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: CMH, sometimes AVP, formerly down the Shore
Programs: UA 1K/3MM, AA EXP/3MM, DL MM, former fan of TWA
Posts: 1,854
Originally Posted by JonNYC
I don't see any reason to assume that, passenger's status is there own is how it is now.
I hadn't realized that... I don't do it often and thought my status went with the request. Thanks!
gary_nj is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:26 pm
  #22  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,272
Originally Posted by cova
Surprising they added in the fare code priority for situations where EQD is equal. It would be very rare situation if two Elites within the same level have the same EQD.

Likely timestamp would have been sufficient in such a rare case.
I think it could be somewhat common for two elites at the same level to have $0 rolling EQD. Whether it's elites who took a long pause from flying, those just starting out after being granted status during a challenge, etc.
javabytes is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:26 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: BNA
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 766
Originally Posted by carlosdca
I guess this will also apply to upgrades to Business when the PE cabin exists??
New perk for upgrades on award tickets applies to domestic only.
oysterhead43 is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:26 pm
  #24  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,658
Looks like if you use miles and copay for the upgrade you will trump comp upgrades within your elite level, regardless of spend.
cova is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:28 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: BNA
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 766
Can someone remind me? As an EXP, once I run out of 500-mile stickers, how do I get more to use the award upgrade perk?

EDIT: as an EXP, do I even need to use stickers for a domestic award upgrade? I have unlimited 500-mile upgrades right?
Last edited by oysterhead43; May 16, 2017 at 1:36 pm
oysterhead43 is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:28 pm
  #26  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Originally Posted by cova
Looks like if you use miles and copay for the upgrade you will trump comp upgrades within your elite level, regardless of spend.
That's pretty specifically stated.
JonNYC is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:28 pm
  #27  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,036
Anyone want to speculate about whether it's based on your 12 month EQD tally at time of purchase, or on EQDs flown at the time of the upgrade becoming available/clearing?

Your rolling EQD tally over the past 12 months can go up or down on a day to day basis.
PHLGovFlyer is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:29 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Originally Posted by deeruck
Surely points 4 and 5 will be used rarely. Unless they bucket the EQD, that would almost always break the tie, wouldn't it?
And wouldn't it have been more fun if instead of two more tie breakers, they had gone with "coin flip," "rock-paper-scissors contest," or perhaps "penalty kicks," so as to maintain the battleground feeling of gate-area upgrades?

Pity.
platbrownguy is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:30 pm
  #29  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Originally Posted by PHLGovFlyer
Anyone want to speculate about whether it's based on your 12 month EQD tally at time of purchase, or on EQDs flown at the time of the upgrade becoming available/clearing?
I'd speculate definitely the latter
JonNYC is offline  
Reply
Old May 16, 2017, 1:30 pm
  #30  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: NYC,MIA,XFL
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, DL PM
Posts: 863
Originally Posted by gradboozer
Guess it's just time to start buying more paid F.
Exactly. On delta
jay_dubya is offline  
Reply



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.