ClimbingCook

I think you can. I've used my stickers to upgrade other people, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to do the same in reverse.

elhefe4

I am gold with AA and I have several flights coming up that are on full Y-class fares. When I view the itineraries on AA's website, they only offer me the ability to upgrade using stickers. I submitted this question to their customer service email (including a link to this website: https://www.aa.com/i18n/information/...efinitions.jsp) and I received a call back from a CSR today. She told me that I can only upgrade using stickers so I pointed her toward that page on their website and asked why it said they allow "complimentary" upgrades.

She spoke with her supervisor who confirmed that I can only upgrade using stickers and that page on their website is "phrased poorly" so she can "understand how [I] might read it that way." She said she was going to submit a ticket to her boss to have someone clarify the wording on that page, but I swear I've heard of people upgrading Y-fares to the next class of service without using stickers. Am I off base or are she and her supervisor wrong?

mgarrett96

From my understanding, when AA moved to the new system of upgrades post-merger (all elites complimentary on flights <500mi, otherwise GLD and PLT need stickers and EXP continue to get UDUs), they discontinued UDUs for GLD and PLT on Y/B fares.

JDiver

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

We've merged your query into the existing thread, leaving a trailing link to guide you here.

Complimentary upgrades for those on full Y fares were discontinued for those other than Executive Platinum. See the wikipost at the top of the page for this and other changes to UDU, "sticker" and full Y complimentary upgrades. Full Y should, however, grant you Main Cabin Extra seats (upgrade without "stickers" on sub-500 mile flights).

Quote:

(MCE) Complimentary: AAdvantage® Executive Platinum and Platinum members and their oneworld® equivalents, and customers who purchase a full-fare Main Cabin ticket, receive fully complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra seats.

/Moderator

northernlights1

Platinum here still navigating the "new" upgrade process. Connecting flight showed myself #1 on the upgrade list yet to clear before take off on my first leg. I land in Dallas and now am 3rd and 10 minutes later are fourth. I'm assuming an EXP requested an upgrade at checkin at the airport? Still learning this deal.

HNL

Your assumption is correct - mostly. Those people ahead of you are higher status and/or paid first seeking a change in flights.

rjw242

It could've been an EXP, or a PLT who requested the upgrade before you. A passenger's name appears on the upgrade list when they check in, but the placement on the list depends on status and when they requested the upgrade (usually when their flight was originally booked).

oysterhead43

EXP had likely auto-requested long ago but hit airport list when they checked in.

northernlights1

Thanks for update. Strange thing this was a last minute almost full price fare and so I didn't have the benefit of advance notice when the fares are cheaper. I'd of think the higher fare would have helped my place in line. But who knows what the computer thinks. Missed the upgrade by one.

oysterhead43

As above, fare doesnt matter. Only status (first) and then time of request/booking (second).

corncob

Fare price doesn't factor into the upgrade list priority between elite levels (EXP vs PLT). From the 500-mile upgrade thread's wiki: "Priority for upgrades depends primarily on status, secondarily on time of request"

There's a large number of things that could have happened here.

A) Another flight got cancelled or delayed, and EXPs with upgrade requests from that flight got pushed to yours. Even if you were EXP, if their original request was submitted prior to yours they would have hopped you in the list. Since you have a lower status, they are automatically above you.
B) An EXP (or PLT with earlier request) could have same-day changed to your flight and got in front of you.
C) An EXP (or PLT with earlier request) could have dropped off the airport list due to an erroneous manual check-in (or something else) and been placed back on. The PLT may have been placed back on the list in order of your original request time.

A lot of good info here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...questions.html

JonNYC

Just to prevent confusion, Y-fares (and B to the extent they still exist (I think they basically don't)) go to the top within elite tier.

Answer was most probably just this:

oysterhead43

Is that published somewhere, JonNYC? I asked the Twitter team via DM a few times and they insisted fare isn't considered.

869

Can't readily point you to it (because I am lazy) but JonNYC speaks facts here. Full fare Y dominates all other upgraders within your tier. I've had agents recently argue with me about this, but it remains true.

northernlights1

Doesn't seem like a good business model to NOT select on fare price per status class. But who knows. Thanks to everyone for the helpful information.