ARCHIVE: 2016 Sticker" / 500-mile & EXP "UDU" Complimentary Upgrade Policy / FAQ
Sep 25, 2016, 1:53 pm
#541
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DAY
Programs: Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPLT
Posts: 116
Oddly, the CLT-home leg auto-requested correctly from the start.
Oct 4, 2016, 11:31 am
#542
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 42
What to do with 500 mile upgrades?
Hi -
I have dozens of 500 mile upgrades in my account. I'm a Plat and just re-qualified for Plat for 2017.
On domestic flights I always request upgrades but have had a helluva time actually getting upgraded this year. Used to get them more frequently.
So I'm just wondering if there's any other value to these upgrades that I can leverage some other way.
I have dozens of 500 mile upgrades in my account. I'm a Plat and just re-qualified for Plat for 2017.
On domestic flights I always request upgrades but have had a helluva time actually getting upgraded this year. Used to get them more frequently.
So I'm just wondering if there's any other value to these upgrades that I can leverage some other way.
Oct 4, 2016, 11:36 am
#543
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Nope. On the plus side, they never expire.
Oct 4, 2016, 12:17 pm
#544
Join Date: May 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: UAL 1K MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 438
Hi -
I have dozens of 500 mile upgrades in my account. I'm a Plat and just re-qualified for Plat for 2017.
On domestic flights I always request upgrades but have had a helluva time actually getting upgraded this year. Used to get them more frequently.
So I'm just wondering if there's any other value to these upgrades that I can leverage some other way.
I have dozens of 500 mile upgrades in my account. I'm a Plat and just re-qualified for Plat for 2017.
On domestic flights I always request upgrades but have had a helluva time actually getting upgraded this year. Used to get them more frequently.
So I'm just wondering if there's any other value to these upgrades that I can leverage some other way.
Oct 4, 2016, 1:39 pm
#545
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
I'm in the same boat, I have at least 30 stickers in my account, and it is pretty rare I get the chance to use them.
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
Oct 4, 2016, 2:45 pm
#546
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
I'm in the same boat, I have at least 30 stickers in my account, and it is pretty rare I get the chance to use them.
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
Oct 4, 2016, 3:09 pm
#547
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA MM; UA-S; HH-D; Marriott-LTP
Posts: 223
Which is great.
Unfortunately, should you lose status, you won't be able to access the banked upgrades even if space happens to be available. That happened to me...was Platinum, then when work reeled in the travel budget, so there was a time I wasn't able to earn or maintain any elite status. When work eased up on the budget, traveled again, but couldn't access the upgrades until I re-qualified for at least Gold.
Unfortunately, should you lose status, you won't be able to access the banked upgrades even if space happens to be available. That happened to me...was Platinum, then when work reeled in the travel budget, so there was a time I wasn't able to earn or maintain any elite status. When work eased up on the budget, traveled again, but couldn't access the upgrades until I re-qualified for at least Gold.
Oct 4, 2016, 3:22 pm
#548
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
I would suspect that this will never happen. Since you can buy upgrades for $40/each the upgrades required for DFW-NRT would cost just $520 to buy outright (assuming space is available). JFK-LHR would only cost $280, which is less than just the copay for the miles upgrade!
I was once offered a $700 upgrade at a kiosk for DFW-NRT. That was much much more than what I'd want to pay.
US used to have dynamic pricing of upgrades to their biz (they called it Envoy). I've paid as little as $300 for MUC-PHL, on an old B767, and that seemed a good price.
Oct 4, 2016, 3:27 pm
#549
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
I think our sticker upgrades have cleared ONCE this year, and my wife and I are both going to easily requalify for PLT. And we usually fly off-peak too. Has been nuts this year.
IIRC you used to be able to trade in stickers for miles but I'm sure LCC has no intention of reinstating that.
IIRC you used to be able to trade in stickers for miles but I'm sure LCC has no intention of reinstating that.
Oct 4, 2016, 3:35 pm
#550
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Anywhere
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 674
When you get to Platinum Pro, you can use them to upgrade a companion.
Oct 4, 2016, 3:35 pm
#551
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA Plat/2MM, DL Silver, UA Silver (via Marr), Marr LTT, HH Gold (via cc), Hyatt Disc
Posts: 1,039
Would be great if we could trade in stickers @ $40 a pop to apply to the copay portion of a miles + copay upgrade! Essentially could become miles + stickers; I've got a ton of both so probably would bite every now and then.
Oct 4, 2016, 4:52 pm
#552
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club (Silver), Le Club Accor (Silver)
Posts: 680
British based AA Plat here with 40+ "stickers" in the bank. I'm in the same boat as the rest of you... I'd love a way to trade these in for RDMs or perhaps use 3x the distance value to upgrade on long haul. But sadly tis not to be.
Oct 4, 2016, 8:52 pm
#553
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
It's funny how different travel patterns can result in different upgrade rates. I just checked my records and over the last 5 years I've bought about 50 stickers. I use them much faster than I earn 'em. Of course lately an up-fare to F is often comparable to the cost of stickers, making stickers much less valuable.
Oct 4, 2016, 9:37 pm
#554
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,828
Am I totally SOL and unable to upgrade (with stickers) an AA operated flight bought with an AS flight number?
It was booked in B class via an OTA (by someone else, who apparently doesn't know to avoid codeshares
).
It was booked in B class via an OTA (by someone else, who apparently doesn't know to avoid codeshares
).
Oct 4, 2016, 10:01 pm
#555
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Austin, TX - AUS
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 1,625
I'm in the same boat, I have at least 30 stickers in my account, and it is pretty rare I get the chance to use them.
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
I wish they had a way to use them for international flights. I've been on DFW-NRT/NRT-DFW flights that actually had space in biz, but I didn't want to pay $350 + an obscene amount of miles to upgrade. Even if I had to use 10 or 15 each way, I'd find that a much better use of these (and that I could actually use them).
