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)
Sep 6, 2019, 6:12 pm
#826
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
How is JFK-MIA and the reverse as ExPlat? Assuming it’s generally a very tough upgrade, is there hope on midweek flights during off-peak periods? Thanks.
Sep 6, 2019, 6:22 pm
#827
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
Ive had pretty good luck on this route but I only book the widebody planes because of the extra premium seats. Also with AAs atrocious operation there are often a lot of misconnects freeing up gate upgrade seats.
Sep 6, 2019, 6:23 pm
#828
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Thanks for the info. Not what I was expecting.
Sep 6, 2019, 7:15 pm
#829
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
This week's flights:
DEN-ORD, 738, Tuesday morning - cleared at 100 hours [ended up moving day-of to an earlier delayed flight to avoid a potential misconnect, and sat in a exit row aisle, so did not actually fly this one]
ORD-DCA, 738, Tuesday afternoon - cleared at around 10 hours prior to flight
DCA-DFW, A321, Friday afternoon, cleared at 100 hours
DFW-DEN, A321, Friday evening, cleared at 100+ hours (same time as the prior segment)
Probably around 20K rolling EQD at this point.
------
So I'm counting that as 3/3.
I'm sure someone will be along to tell me that upgrades never clear in advance; it's impossible to clear upgrades to/from DFW; upgrades only clear at off-peak times on non-business travel days; that I clear upgrades only because I fly from Denver; or some other nonsense.
DEN-ORD, 738, Tuesday morning - cleared at 100 hours [ended up moving day-of to an earlier delayed flight to avoid a potential misconnect, and sat in a exit row aisle, so did not actually fly this one]
ORD-DCA, 738, Tuesday afternoon - cleared at around 10 hours prior to flight
DCA-DFW, A321, Friday afternoon, cleared at 100 hours
DFW-DEN, A321, Friday evening, cleared at 100+ hours (same time as the prior segment)
Probably around 20K rolling EQD at this point.
------
So I'm counting that as 3/3.
I'm sure someone will be along to tell me that upgrades never clear in advance; it's impossible to clear upgrades to/from DFW; upgrades only clear at off-peak times on non-business travel days; that I clear upgrades only because I fly from Denver; or some other nonsense.
Sep 6, 2019, 7:27 pm
#830
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
This week's flights:
DEN-ORD, 738, Tuesday morning - cleared at 100 hours [ended up moving day-of to an earlier delayed flight to avoid a potential misconnect, and sat in a exit row aisle, so did not actually fly this one]
ORD-DCA, 738, Tuesday afternoon - cleared at around 10 hours prior to flight
DCA-DFW, A321, Friday afternoon, cleared at 100 hours
DFW-DEN, A321, Friday evening, cleared at 100+ hours (same time as the prior segment)
Probably around 20K rolling EQD at this point.
------
So I'm counting that as 3/3.
I'm sure someone will be along to tell me that upgrades never clear in advance; it's impossible to clear upgrades to/from DFW; upgrades only clear at off-peak times on non-business travel days; that I clear upgrades only because I fly from Denver; or some other nonsense.
DEN-ORD, 738, Tuesday morning - cleared at 100 hours [ended up moving day-of to an earlier delayed flight to avoid a potential misconnect, and sat in a exit row aisle, so did not actually fly this one]
ORD-DCA, 738, Tuesday afternoon - cleared at around 10 hours prior to flight
DCA-DFW, A321, Friday afternoon, cleared at 100 hours
DFW-DEN, A321, Friday evening, cleared at 100+ hours (same time as the prior segment)
Probably around 20K rolling EQD at this point.
------
So I'm counting that as 3/3.
I'm sure someone will be along to tell me that upgrades never clear in advance; it's impossible to clear upgrades to/from DFW; upgrades only clear at off-peak times on non-business travel days; that I clear upgrades only because I fly from Denver; or some other nonsense.
Sep 6, 2019, 8:01 pm
#831
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
I've noticed no material change in my upgrade success rate compared to what it was it before the changeover to the EQD ranking system.
Sep 6, 2019, 8:26 pm
#832
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
No real way of knowing that. I don't feel like 20K is a particularly high number or a particularly low one either. But that's just a "feeling" - I don't have any data about the status levels of people below me on the lists.
I've noticed no material change in my upgrade success rate compared to what it was it before the changeover to the EQD ranking system.
I've noticed no material change in my upgrade success rate compared to what it was it before the changeover to the EQD ranking system.
Sep 7, 2019, 8:47 am
#833
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
Same, I don't think I've ever missed an upgrade on JFK-MIA except when I do a same-day change and J is already full.
Sep 7, 2019, 8:56 am
#834
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
Sep 12, 2019, 3:37 pm
#835
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 59
Hi experts-
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
Sep 12, 2019, 3:54 pm
#836
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Hi experts-
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
Sep 12, 2019, 5:35 pm
#837
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,459
Hi experts-
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
i have a mileage upgrade request for flight 533 SJD-PHX and flight 891 PHX-ORD on Sunday, 9.15. I’m most interested in the Phoenix-Chicago flight, and the cost to upfare was $1700. Should I safely assume I won’t clear as this probably means inventory is very low?
thanks so much!
Sep 13, 2019, 2:03 pm
#838
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 732
AA 94 (JFK-MAD) upgrade Y->J for two people using Miles + Copay (as EXP) cleared ~30 hours before.
I received the alert from EF, then called AA to process the upgrade.
Still 100% success rate on TATL upgrades this year (6/6).
I received the alert from EF, then called AA to process the upgrade.
Still 100% success rate on TATL upgrades this year (6/6).
Sep 13, 2019, 2:16 pm
#839
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 120
Are there any long distance routes where AA usually has C space available? Asia, Europe, or anything. I've a few left that will expire in January, and looking for opportunities to spend them for a weekend trip.
Already checked the routes to PVG without much luck from October - January. I would like to avoid gambling and if at all possible clear it at booking. Forfeiting the upgrades is less painful than 12 hours Y...
Already checked the routes to PVG without much luck from October - January. I would like to avoid gambling and if at all possible clear it at booking. Forfeiting the upgrades is less painful than 12 hours Y...
Sep 13, 2019, 2:34 pm
#840
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
Are there any long distance routes where AA usually has C space available? Asia, Europe, or anything. I've a few left that will expire in January, and looking for opportunities to spend them for a weekend trip.
Already checked the routes to PVG without much luck from October - January. I would like to avoid gambling and if at all possible clear it at booking. Forfeiting the upgrades is less painful than 12 hours Y...
Already checked the routes to PVG without much luck from October - January. I would like to avoid gambling and if at all possible clear it at booking. Forfeiting the upgrades is less painful than 12 hours Y...