Hyperacusis

Quick question about companion upgrades since it's been a while since I have used stickers.

I am flying AUS-DFW-EGE next week with a companion. He is a BA Silver (OW Sapphire) on a separate record. My AA EXP account is listed on my record. Our itineraries have been linked for the purposes of upgrades, and the upgrades have already cleared on both segments. I do have a few stickers in my account from my Plat days. So my questions are....

1. Can the required stickers be pulled from my account, since we are traveling together and our records are linked? Or will we have to buy him stickers at the airport since he is on a separate record?

2. Since he is BA Silver / OWS, does he get the AUS-DFW segment (under 500 miles) for free under the new rules (since AA Gold and Plats no longer required them for short flights), or will we need a sticker for this? I know that strictly speaking the sticker-less short flight upgrades are only for AA elites but I'm curious to know how this works in practice for OW elites as companions.

RogerD408

You should be able to do this at the airport. So he will not be able to use OLCI to get his BP.

turnleftbrighteyes

Hi everyone, I have a (maybe very dumb) sticker question, and even after reading through the bulk of this thread, I didn't see this particular combo.

Anyway:

1. I'm Plat, my companion is Gold
2. He has way more stickers than I do; I currently have none.
3. To that, his firm will pay for his F ticket. It's not worth the premium over coach for me to book F outright on this flight.
4. If we're both on the same flights (just in different classes), can I link our PNRs?
5. And then, if I clear, is it possible to pull the stickers from his account (at check-in)?

Thanks for any clarification from this confused person!

aktchi

My wife and I play this game often---although we are usually attempting to ug both of us from coach. In our experience, there is about 50-50 chance that AA would take the stickers from the account we wanted. It would have been easier if you had no stickers in your account!

Anyway, your friend should call and request that stickers for your ug should be taken from his account. At check in, do not go to the kiosk but to a live agent and repeat this request. Good luck!

turnleftbrighteyes

Thanks, aktchi! Glad to see this is not such a wacky scenario after all. Here's hoping for a helpful and competent agent at the airport...

MADPhil

I don't think that linking the PNRs will do you any good. You would have to be on the same PNR which means the same class and means of payment.

turnleftbrighteyes

Hmmm... does that mean I should hope for a helpful but incompetent agent?!

MADPhil

The only actual wording I found is "AAdvantage elite status members may upgrade one companion traveling on the same flight using 500-mile upgrades from their own account as payment" which is sufficiently vague that you might be in luck.

G-CIVC

I have a single PNR reservation of 4 people (incl myself and a Ruby, other two no status) on 2 legs, 1 under 500 miles and one over. I was told by an AAgent that no 500-mile upgrades can be requested/used in this situation whatsoever unless I split the reservation right now. Is that true? I thought I would be able to effectively 'specify' who I would like to upgrade and our party would be split if upgrades were processed (for myself and who I specified) prior to airport control. Furthermore, isn't my sub-500-mi segment upgrade supposed to be requested even if I took no action? This is baffling and I wonder if any seasoned FTer can give me some advice. Thanks in adv

zpaul

Are notification emails a thing of the past? I've received three complimentary upgrades and two SWUs have cleared so far this year, and I haven't received any type of notification from AA (other than the seat changing online). Anyone else have this experience?

RogerD408

The program is written to allow up to one companion to be upgraded. Besides the issue of four upgrades would need to come available at once to process your PNR, the computer will skip your rez do to having too many people to upgrade. This is such a corner case, I'm not surprised IT does not have a process to address it.

Your best bet is to split the record in two with separating the two status pax so at least each PNR would have some status. Even getting two upgrade seats at once may be a stretch. Swapping seats as you board the flight will allow you to decide who sits where (just no swapping in-flight).

As for your personal upgrade, again, the process is set to upgrade the entire PNR or no one. Until you split the PNR to something that can be upgraded (two or less), your request will be denied.

You can make a request for AA to update their IT process, but I seriously doubt it will happen before your flight, if at all.

royevans

Couldn't answer this permutation via search - can someone advise?

Wife is gold. I have no status this year.

We have reservation tomorrow. Wife requested upgrade at booking (she has no stickers in account presently).

Goal is to get her upgraded if possible.

Used OLCI and was told "upgrade could not be processed due to lack of upgrades in account. Please call AA, etc"

I thought if upgrade was avail, it would prompt you to buy stickers at check in? We'd rather not buy without knowing it would clear since she will lose status next month and they will be worthless, right? Four stickers needed.

What to do at this point. We're already checked in, so she wasn't added to upgrade list due to the lack of stickers. Phone rep (3 in a row) were clueless. I'm happy to buy stickers but only if I know the upgrade will clear. Any advice?

Thanks in advance!!

Microwave

I will go ahead and merge this into the extant thread discussing 500 mile upgrades, where this question best belongs.

~Moderator

Microwave

If you request a sticker upgrade and it doesn't clear by the time you check in, you'll need to have enough stickers in your account to check in, or remove yourself from the upgrade list. Your best bet at this point is to wait longer, and check in at the airport if you don't get an upgrade notification before then. You can then remove yourself from the upgrade list and check in without buying stickers, if that's your pleasure.

royevans

Thanks! Unfortunately we are already checked in with BP,s. Is there anything at all we can do at this point?