Jan 6, 2019, 6:09 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
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
Upgrade type
- Miles and copay award upgrades and systemwide upgrades (SWU)
- 500 mile upgrades on purchased tickets
- 500 mile upgrades on upgrade eligible awards)
Then, by
- Elite qualifying dollars in the past 12 months (rolling)
- Booking class
- Time of request
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
ARCHIVE: Chances of Upgrade Clearing and Availability (2019 master thread)
Apr 11, 2019, 5:30 pm
#451
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum (3 Million Miler), IHG Spire Royal Amdassador
Posts: 282
My J class SWU for Flt 106 JFK>LHR tomorrow cleared around T-34. This flight was showing pretty wide open in J for the past few weeks so I was optimistic that a Friday night flight would clear. EF is still showing J5.
Apr 12, 2019, 6:27 am
#452
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
I had a weird chance to watch an upgrade happen in real time.
Am booked on a MIA-PHX flight and all non-stops for the day are zeroed out (which struck me as odd) so I wasn't optimistic about this one.
I have EF alerts set up, but often check manually given the periodic nature of the way EF works.
Yesterday, I checked and saw my flight was J1.
I went to aa.com to see what the fare was to see if it was worth doing an upfare, but AA showed no availability. I went back to EF and ran the search again and now it was J0.
I joked to myself "wouldn't it be funny if I was just upgraded?" and I, with my foolish optimism, checked the AA app and, sure enough, I saw my seat assignment was gone! I clicked on the Upgrades button and it now showed confirmed!
No seat assignment was made, so I went ahead and took the only open seat (not sure if AA would have done that automatically, but wasn't going to risk it).
A few minutes later, I received the "Your upgrade is confirmed" email showing my seat assignment I just made.
EXP with 24K rolling EQD.
It's nice when the system works as it should (sad when it's the exception and not the norm).
Am booked on a MIA-PHX flight and all non-stops for the day are zeroed out (which struck me as odd) so I wasn't optimistic about this one.
I have EF alerts set up, but often check manually given the periodic nature of the way EF works.
Yesterday, I checked and saw my flight was J1.
I went to aa.com to see what the fare was to see if it was worth doing an upfare, but AA showed no availability. I went back to EF and ran the search again and now it was J0.
I joked to myself "wouldn't it be funny if I was just upgraded?" and I, with my foolish optimism, checked the AA app and, sure enough, I saw my seat assignment was gone! I clicked on the Upgrades button and it now showed confirmed!
No seat assignment was made, so I went ahead and took the only open seat (not sure if AA would have done that automatically, but wasn't going to risk it).
A few minutes later, I received the "Your upgrade is confirmed" email showing my seat assignment I just made.
EXP with 24K rolling EQD.
It's nice when the system works as it should (sad when it's the exception and not the norm).
Last edited by HofstraJet; Apr 12, 2019 at 6:34 am
Apr 13, 2019, 5:26 pm
#453
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Regarding my PBI woes earlier, upcoming flight
PHL-PBI (cleared at 100 hours)
Surprising because the back of the plane shows maybe one or two seats open. I cleared into one of the 2 F seats that hadn't yet been sold. Figured i'd sweat it out while AA waited for someone to buy those last two F seats.
PHL-PBI (cleared at 100 hours)
Surprising because the back of the plane shows maybe one or two seats open. I cleared into one of the 2 F seats that hadn't yet been sold. Figured i'd sweat it out while AA waited for someone to buy those last two F seats.
Apr 14, 2019, 5:59 am
#454
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,816
Regarding my PBI woes earlier, upcoming flight
PHL-PBI (cleared at 100 hours)
Surprising because the back of the plane shows maybe one or two seats open. I cleared into one of the 2 F seats that hadn't yet been sold. Figured i'd sweat it out while AA waited for someone to buy those last two F seats.
PHL-PBI (cleared at 100 hours)
Surprising because the back of the plane shows maybe one or two seats open. I cleared into one of the 2 F seats that hadn't yet been sold. Figured i'd sweat it out while AA waited for someone to buy those last two F seats.
Apr 15, 2019, 8:09 pm
#455
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Washington DC
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 66
Interesting week...4/8 original plan DCA-LGA-TYS, cleared first two legs at 72 hrs.
Rebooked via the app (very conveniently I’d add) due to weather DCA-PHL-TYS, cleared on first leg at change and second flight only a main cabin.
4/12 TYS-LGA-DCA both cleared at 72 hours. Changed to TYS-CLT-IAD day before, second leg cleared at booking under 24h.
Arrived at TYS with weather delays affecting all flights, stood by on direct DCA flight. 51st passenger of 50 and back on TYS-CLT-DCA.
TYS-CLT has no more than ten non revs but what I gathered were very grumpy passengers. They upgraded everyone to the front though two disgruntled men sat in the first row of economy as protest. They had been constantly arguing with the gate agent about the actual weather and they didn’t deserve anything. I was the only one looking for a PDB and the FA delivered, interesting flight.
CLT was pretty backed up, but thankfully that allowed me to make my connection at #2 on the list, and 3 seats cleared at boarding. Weirdly, the door was shut with 1 seat open. The door was shut for almost 15 mins before they opened it and some guy sat down in 1D. Thought it was strange they didn’t move somebody up once they shut the door.
This week, I’ve already cleared for DCA-PHL-DCA. For regional flights my clearing rate is pretty high at PP, often at 72 hours.
Rebooked via the app (very conveniently I’d add) due to weather DCA-PHL-TYS, cleared on first leg at change and second flight only a main cabin.
4/12 TYS-LGA-DCA both cleared at 72 hours. Changed to TYS-CLT-IAD day before, second leg cleared at booking under 24h.
Arrived at TYS with weather delays affecting all flights, stood by on direct DCA flight. 51st passenger of 50 and back on TYS-CLT-DCA.
TYS-CLT has no more than ten non revs but what I gathered were very grumpy passengers. They upgraded everyone to the front though two disgruntled men sat in the first row of economy as protest. They had been constantly arguing with the gate agent about the actual weather and they didn’t deserve anything. I was the only one looking for a PDB and the FA delivered, interesting flight.
CLT was pretty backed up, but thankfully that allowed me to make my connection at #2 on the list, and 3 seats cleared at boarding. Weirdly, the door was shut with 1 seat open. The door was shut for almost 15 mins before they opened it and some guy sat down in 1D. Thought it was strange they didn’t move somebody up once they shut the door.
This week, I’ve already cleared for DCA-PHL-DCA. For regional flights my clearing rate is pretty high at PP, often at 72 hours.
Apr 17, 2019, 5:18 am
#456
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 24
CDG-DFW AA49 4/21 SWU cleared at T-100 hours as EXP with low EQD. J cabin looks quite open.
Apr 17, 2019, 3:07 pm
#458
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AAdvantage PltPro, AMEX Platinum
Posts: 239
DFW-HKG better to use copay miles or business extra cert?
Hello all. Booked just today PE DFW-HKG on April 28. IM a ppro 12 month eqd about 12k. I waitlisted copay miles but wondering if I should use a business extra certificate. Are the chances better with that?
Also flying back HKG-LAX May 2. Same PE and waitlisted. Thank you everyone.
Also flying back HKG-LAX May 2. Same PE and waitlisted. Thank you everyone.
Apr 17, 2019, 3:37 pm
#459
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
Hello all. Booked just today PE DFW-HKG on April 28. IM a ppro 12 month eqd about 12k. I waitlisted copay miles but wondering if I should use a business extra certificate. Are the chances better with that?
Also flying back HKG-LAX May 2. Same PE and waitlisted. Thank you everyone.
Also flying back HKG-LAX May 2. Same PE and waitlisted. Thank you everyone.
And Business Extra has two added wrinkles that lower your odds: (1) if C availability pops up and you have an ExpertFlyer alert set, the Meeting Services agents are much less likely to be able or willing to "push it through" compared to a regular AA agent on a miles upgrade; and (2) Meeting Services has limited phone hours, so if C pops up when they're closed and your waitlist doesn't clear automatically, you're sort of out of luck.
Of course, the odds of these events may not be very high, but they aren't issues at all with miles/copay.
Apr 17, 2019, 6:56 pm
#460
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
I had a weird chance to watch an upgrade happen in real time.
Am booked on a MIA-PHX flight and all non-stops for the day are zeroed out (which struck me as odd) so I wasn't optimistic about this one.
I have EF alerts set up, but often check manually given the periodic nature of the way EF works.
Yesterday, I checked and saw my flight was J1.
I went to aa.com to see what the fare was to see if it was worth doing an upfare, but AA showed no availability. I went back to EF and ran the search again and now it was J0.
I joked to myself "wouldn't it be funny if I was just upgraded?" and I, with my foolish optimism, checked the AA app and, sure enough, I saw my seat assignment was gone! I clicked on the Upgrades button and it now showed confirmed!
No seat assignment was made, so I went ahead and took the only open seat (not sure if AA would have done that automatically, but wasn't going to risk it).
A few minutes later, I received the "Your upgrade is confirmed" email showing my seat assignment I just made.
EXP with 24K rolling EQD.
It's nice when the system works as it should (sad when it's the exception and not the norm).
Am booked on a MIA-PHX flight and all non-stops for the day are zeroed out (which struck me as odd) so I wasn't optimistic about this one.
I have EF alerts set up, but often check manually given the periodic nature of the way EF works.
Yesterday, I checked and saw my flight was J1.
I went to aa.com to see what the fare was to see if it was worth doing an upfare, but AA showed no availability. I went back to EF and ran the search again and now it was J0.
I joked to myself "wouldn't it be funny if I was just upgraded?" and I, with my foolish optimism, checked the AA app and, sure enough, I saw my seat assignment was gone! I clicked on the Upgrades button and it now showed confirmed!
No seat assignment was made, so I went ahead and took the only open seat (not sure if AA would have done that automatically, but wasn't going to risk it).
A few minutes later, I received the "Your upgrade is confirmed" email showing my seat assignment I just made.
EXP with 24K rolling EQD.
It's nice when the system works as it should (sad when it's the exception and not the norm).
Apr 17, 2019, 9:15 pm
#461
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: LAX
Programs: AA - EXP, Hyatt - Globalist, Bonvoy - Gold, Hilton - Gold
Posts: 15
Curious if there are any recent EXP who cleared LAX-LHR with mileage upgrade and/or BXP3? Traveling LAX to LHR in late May and back in early June. Have only flown these routes and been upgraded previously as a Plat so curious if EXP's are clearing on this route in advance...
Apr 17, 2019, 10:20 pm
#462
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
Curious if there are any recent EXP who cleared LAX-LHR with mileage upgrade and/or BXP3? Traveling LAX to LHR in late May and back in early June. Have only flown these routes and been upgraded previously as a Plat so curious if EXP's are clearing on this route in advance...
On the other hand I usually book 1-2 weeks before and can look to see how full the flight is - I do tend to avoid days when upgrades look unlikely, but you can't do this when booking more than a few weeks before (since most J sells in the 1-3 weeks prior).
Apr 18, 2019, 8:02 pm
#463
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,459
Apr 18, 2019, 8:32 pm
#464
Join Date: May 2017
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 369
I do this route regularly and have never not cleared - SWU or miles - and they've always cleared a few days before (or more). I had one recently that cleared at ticketing (4 weeks before the flight).
On the other hand I usually book 1-2 weeks before and can look to see how full the flight is - I do tend to avoid days when upgrades look unlikely, but you can't do this when booking more than a few weeks before (since most J sells in the 1-3 weeks prior).
On the other hand I usually book 1-2 weeks before and can look to see how full the flight is - I do tend to avoid days when upgrades look unlikely, but you can't do this when booking more than a few weeks before (since most J sells in the 1-3 weeks prior).
Apr 20, 2019, 10:24 am
#465
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: LAX, SNA, LGB
Programs: AS MVP, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 38
Plat with 12 month EQD of 6.5k. cleared at T-48 for LAX - TUS 4/18 and about T-30 for TUS - DFW 4/18. Pleasant surprised to see I got 2/5 flights upgraded on my 2 day trip.
I have a miles + copay request for LAX - SYD 7/3. crossing my fingers! 13 J seats remain.
I have a miles + copay request for LAX - SYD 7/3. crossing my fingers! 13 J seats remain.