Dec 17, 2017, 12:15 pm
Last edit by: aztimm
Chances of Upgrade Request Clearing
NOTE: Be aware of recent (20 May 2017) upgrade priority changes."New Upgrade Priority as of 20 May 2017
(Upgrades were prioritized by elite status and then time of request until 20 May 2017)
- Elite status
- Concierge Key
- Executive Platinum
- Platinum Pro
- Platinum
- Gold
- Platinum
- Platinum Pro
- Executive Platinum
- Upgrade type
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets
- 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards)
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets
- Elite qualifying dollars in the past 12 months
- Booking class
- Time of request"
- Booking class
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
- Concierge Key
See Upgrade Priority Changes to Status, Rolling 365 Day EQD Spend May 20 2017
Link to Gary Leff, View From the Wing 16 May 2017
Updated 17 Dec 2017 by aztimm
Chances of Upgrade Clearing and Availability (2018 master thread)
Dec 16, 2018, 12:17 am
#871
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA, 1.5MM, GE
Posts: 213
I was on the HKG-DFW AA 126 12/15 and had a milage + copay upgrade request in, was fairly high on the list so thought the odds of clearing was pretty good. There were 51 on the upgrade list. In the end those that cleared (from the upgrade list on the AA app) were #1 and #'s 19-28, completing skipping #'s 2-18. I don't understand how this would ever occur, why bother publishing an upgrade list at all if it is not going to be used? What do you have to do, keep calling the AA desk and asking or checking in with the gate agent? I have politely inquired at the gate in the past and the agent typically would just say they are working on it or watch the list, so didn't do that this time. I had a good seat for the flight but was looking forward to the (very rare) upgrade opportunity. I just don't understand the logic used where most of the top 20 on the list are skipped. Will be interesting what AA says about it.
Dec 16, 2018, 7:49 am
#872
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 228
So i’m 6/6 this week on domestic upgrades, but the last 2 haven’t cleared for my partner, despite being on the same booking using my status. Seats available both times.
i tried to speak to the gate agent on Friday in CLT, but she wasn’t having any of it. I spoke to the AAdvantage line on Saturday, and they said they removed my partners FFN and re-requested the upgrade, so it should have cleared yesterday at the same time as mine?
Anyway, not the end of the world, but is there a way to make sure this works properly? Is it a case of making the booking under my FFN, then requesting the upgrade, then adding partners FFN?
i tried to speak to the gate agent on Friday in CLT, but she wasn’t having any of it. I spoke to the AAdvantage line on Saturday, and they said they removed my partners FFN and re-requested the upgrade, so it should have cleared yesterday at the same time as mine?
Anyway, not the end of the world, but is there a way to make sure this works properly? Is it a case of making the booking under my FFN, then requesting the upgrade, then adding partners FFN?
Dec 16, 2018, 9:19 am
#873
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,313
I was on the HKG-DFW AA 126 12/15 and had a milage + copay upgrade request in, was fairly high on the list so thought the odds of clearing was pretty good. There were 51 on the upgrade list. In the end those that cleared (from the upgrade list on the AA app) were #1 and #'s 19-28, completing skipping #'s 2-18. I don't understand how this would ever occur, why bother publishing an upgrade list at all if it is not going to be used? What do you have to do, keep calling the AA desk and asking or checking in with the gate agent? I have politely inquired at the gate in the past and the agent typically would just say they are working on it or watch the list, so didn't do that this time. I had a good seat for the flight but was looking forward to the (very rare) upgrade opportunity. I just don't understand the logic used where most of the top 20 on the list are skipped. Will be interesting what AA says about it.
other explanation I’d they skipped over miles/copay and processed swu’s only if they felt there wasn’t enough time to process the copays (sounds stupid but has happened to me). When did 19-28 clear? After or before boarding? This seems less likely as the SWUs and miles-copay would not be bunched like that (but on a domestic, Miles-copay and 500 miles upgrades would be).
i watch the app like a hawk for these type of shenanigans but even when you catch them, you are likely still out of luck.
Dec 16, 2018, 9:24 am
#874
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Lubbock, TX
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 35
I was on the HKG-DFW AA 126 12/15 and had a milage + copay upgrade request in, was fairly high on the list so thought the odds of clearing was pretty good. There were 51 on the upgrade list. In the end those that cleared (from the upgrade list on the AA app) were #1 and #'s 19-28, completing skipping #'s 2-18. I don't understand how this would ever occur, why bother publishing an upgrade list at all if it is not going to be used? What do you have to do, keep calling the AA desk and asking or checking in with the gate agent? I have politely inquired at the gate in the past and the agent typically would just say they are working on it or watch the list, so didn't do that this time. I had a good seat for the flight but was looking forward to the (very rare) upgrade opportunity. I just don't understand the logic used where most of the top 20 on the list are skipped. Will be interesting what AA says about it.
Dec 16, 2018, 2:18 pm
#875
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
Dec 16, 2018, 8:32 pm
#876
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Yeah, can't be J->F upgrades; in addition to Stripe's solid points, I'll add that if they cleared 8 J->F upgrades that would free up 8 J seats, which would result in 2-9 on the list clearing (assuming those were Y/W->J requests). If they only cleared 1 Y->J upgrade, they didn't clear more than 1 J->F upgrade.
I have no idea how Y->W upgrades work, but maybe that's what's going on? Seems odd there would be 8 open W seats too though. I don't have any other theory, but I find it pretty unlikely that they just straight skipped 18 people for no reason.
I have no idea how Y->W upgrades work, but maybe that's what's going on? Seems odd there would be 8 open W seats too though. I don't have any other theory, but I find it pretty unlikely that they just straight skipped 18 people for no reason.
Dec 16, 2018, 8:41 pm
#877
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
However, I have noticed a similar oddity on a domestic flight last month so I feel there is something up with how the upgrade list and airport list not syncing up the way it should.
Dec 16, 2018, 8:57 pm
#878
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Actually this got me thinking maybe those customers were customers in W getting upgraded to J? With #1 being either a displaced pax or CK?
I guess it's possible. I have not noticed any strange behavior myself (or at least, nothing strange enough it's not explained by stuff we already know about like different cabin upgrades).
Dec 16, 2018, 9:39 pm
#879
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
Well, I would have thought the W folks would be situated in the list wherever they should be. Also, do W seats even get preference?
I guess it's possible. I have not noticed any strange behavior myself (or at least, nothing strange enough it's not explained by stuff we already know about like different cabin upgrades).
I guess it's possible. I have not noticed any strange behavior myself (or at least, nothing strange enough it's not explained by stuff we already know about like different cabin upgrades).
Regarding being skipped I created a thread last month when I noticed on a short PIT-CLT flight they cleared someone way down the list skipping many others on the list and some have observed similar situations the poster was discussing about.
Skipped on Upgrade List?
Last edited by golfingboy; Dec 16, 2018 at 9:47 pm
Dec 16, 2018, 11:22 pm
#880
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: JFK
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 29
I was on the HKG-DFW AA 126 12/15 and had a milage + copay upgrade request in, was fairly high on the list so thought the odds of clearing was pretty good. There were 51 on the upgrade list. In the end those that cleared (from the upgrade list on the AA app) were #1 and #'s 19-28, completing skipping #'s 2-18. I don't understand how this would ever occur, why bother publishing an upgrade list at all if it is not going to be used? What do you have to do, keep calling the AA desk and asking or checking in with the gate agent? I have politely inquired at the gate in the past and the agent typically would just say they are working on it or watch the list, so didn't do that this time. I had a good seat for the flight but was looking forward to the (very rare) upgrade opportunity. I just don't understand the logic used where most of the top 20 on the list are skipped. Will be interesting what AA says about it.
Dec 17, 2018, 1:55 am
#881
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
I am on 126 tomorrow (currently seated in PE) and have been on the waitlist to use a SWU for a while—It looked like there was C1 this morning for a brief moment, but I was on my flight to HKG and missed it. EF is showing 14 seats open in J, so I’m hoping I get one, but your experience makes me worried!
Dec 17, 2018, 3:17 am
#882
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: JFK
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 29
It’s a moot point for me now—got a notification a few hours ago that AA126 that was supposed to leave at 3:45pm on Dec 18 is now delayed until 7:00am on Dec 19th. Got myself rerouted on a CX codeshare to JFK that leaves in the morning now, so PE it is for me!
Dec 17, 2018, 4:07 pm
#883
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: AA GLD
Posts: 6
hey guys ,
Can someone tell me the chances of me and my dad getting upgraded on aa38 on the 12/23/18? We are using a swu.
Thanks in advance
Can someone tell me the chances of me and my dad getting upgraded on aa38 on the 12/23/18? We are using a swu.
Thanks in advance
Dec 17, 2018, 4:11 pm
#884
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,003
Dec 18, 2018, 2:55 pm
#885
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SFO, formerly BOS
Programs: AS Gold 75K and Delta PM, former AA EXP
Posts: 68
Cleared at T-96 on tomorrow's AA16, 11:40AM departure SFO-JFK from Y to J. EF was showing J4 before I cleared, now showing J2. Pretty surprised.