Confirm upgrade with Miles + Copay, switch to SWU later?
Oct 14, 2017, 4:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,036
Confirm upgrade with Miles + Copay, switch to SWU later?
Upcoming international flight in January has C availability. I recently cancelled a trip that I had upgraded with a SWU, but that SWU is not back in my account yet (AA says to wait up to a week and AAdvantage CS is not available for SWU re-issue on weekend).
Can I confirm the upgrade now using Miles + Copay and then when the SWU is returned switch the upgrade to that SWU and get the Miles + Copay refunded?
Can I confirm the upgrade now using Miles + Copay and then when the SWU is returned switch the upgrade to that SWU and get the Miles + Copay refunded?
Oct 14, 2017, 5:06 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVP 75K, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 15
Ended up in a situation like that for an upcoming trip.
A friend and I are travelling TATL on separate PNRs. They originally submitted a miles + copay request until some SWUs freed up in my account. I called into the EXP desk to switch their upgrade request to SWU. Their AA app shows SWU as the upgrade instrument and we both just cleared the upgrade to J on the first leg with no sign of copay hitting their credit card.
Now here's to hoping we get upgraded on our return leg...
A friend and I are travelling TATL on separate PNRs. They originally submitted a miles + copay request until some SWUs freed up in my account. I called into the EXP desk to switch their upgrade request to SWU. Their AA app shows SWU as the upgrade instrument and we both just cleared the upgrade to J on the first leg with no sign of copay hitting their credit card.
Now here's to hoping we get upgraded on our return leg...
Oct 14, 2017, 6:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,314
Not the same as the OPs question. Can definitely switchbefore clearing, no copay is charged until cleared.
After clearing is another thing.
After clearing is another thing.
Oct 14, 2017, 6:24 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: Aadvantage
Posts: 64
Same situation earlier this year -- was going to requal for EXP two days before the trip I wanted to upgrade so wouldn't have the SWUs in my account until just prior to the flight. Many calls to the EXP desk who told me I had to speak with the Advantage desk who sent me back to the EXP desk. Both said that the other might be able to "lend" the SWU since I was going to earn it. Neither did. Both said that the SWU request is different and seperate from a paid upgrade, so I wouldn't be helped by reserving the paid upgrade and waiting or trying to switch to the SWU.
I ended up writing an email to this person, whose office made it happen for me:
<redacted for privacy>
Good luck! Aa did the right thing for me and really helped
I ended up writing an email to this person, whose office made it happen for me:
<redacted for privacy>
Good luck! Aa did the right thing for me and really helped
Last edited by JDiver; Feb 21, 2019 at 10:15 am Reason: E-mail redacted - privacy
Oct 15, 2017, 9:32 am
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
If it's a different inventory class or different priority on the upgrade waitlist, you shouldn't be able to switch instruments without completely cancelling the initial upgrade and then waitlisting anew for it with no guarantees of availability.
Oct 15, 2017, 11:42 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,314
Same fare bucket and priority. But I don't know that they can remove the instrument without canceling the upgrade.
Oct 15, 2017, 9:10 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,887
Oct 15, 2017, 9:24 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
I had a flight with a confirmed (gifted) SWU earlier this year that the gifter decided to swap it for mileage upgrade. Kept the confirmed upgrade, it did get stuck reticketing but they were able to clean it up. FWIW, there was C space remaining at the time of the swap.
Oct 15, 2017, 11:28 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
Paid C space doesn't matter; it's upgrade bucket inventory that counts.
Oct 4, 2018, 11:48 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,451
Anyone had recent luck swapping out a confirmed miles+copay for SWU and getting the copay refunded? I know AA.com says that copays are non-refundable, but just wondering if that is a hard-and-fast rule. I expect my new batch of SWUs to become available in a month.
Dec 27, 2018, 2:17 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
Bump with the same question.
Dec 27, 2018, 2:41 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
No personal experience on this, but you list yourself as a PLT, so I don't know where your SWU are coming from (MM?), but I doubt they will refund the CoPay once charged. (They WILL if you fail to get accommodated in the upgraded cabin due to irrops, but that's the only way I've heard of it occurring.)
Dec 27, 2018, 2:54 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
No personal experience on this, but you list yourself as a PLT, so I don't know where your SWU are coming from (MM?), but I doubt they will refund the CoPay once charged. (They WILL if you fail to get accommodated in the upgraded cabin due to irrops, but that's the only way I've heard of it occurring.)