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)
#76
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: FLL/MIA
Programs: AAdvantage / HHonors /Hyatt
Posts: 8
If you're Executive Platinum using your own SWU, your chances are 72%.
If you don't have any elite status on AA and are using a SWU gifted by someone else, then your chances are 17%.
In either case, your chances are much higher if you use the SWU than if you don't. @:-)
Good luck!
If you don't have any elite status on AA and are using a SWU gifted by someone else, then your chances are 17%.
In either case, your chances are much higher if you use the SWU than if you don't. @:-)
Good luck!
#78
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Florida
Programs: MR PP/Ambassador, Amex Explat, Hertz PC
Posts: 41
I am EXP and have requested the use of my 4 SWU from MIA to MXP - the flight is on June 9th and am looking to upgrade my family and I (4 in total) from MIA to MXP - I'm on the waitlist, and I can see that no seats have been sold in business class yet. Any ideas on when (and if) my SWU will clear?
#79
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,361
I am EXP and have requested the use of my 4 SWU from MIA to MXP - the flight is on June 9th and am looking to upgrade my family and I (4 in total) from MIA to MXP - I'm on the waitlist, and I can see that no seats have been sold in business class yet. Any ideas on when (and if) my SWU will clear?
As a data point, last year I had a MIA-MXP roundtrip in late April. For both the outbound and return the business cabin was wide open (no more than 50% full on both) yet AA didn't release any upgrade space till about 24-36 hrs before for both. This is standard operating procedure for a majority of AA long haul flights.
#80
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earth
Programs: AA - EXP 1MM, Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, BA, DL, TWA Royal Ambassador
Posts: 309
I'm EXP with about 15K EQD wife is PlatPro with 9K EQD.... We are trying to use SWU's from DFW to PVG on 2/28 and return 4/3 from NRT-DFW AA178 .... Would we be better off splinting our PNR or would that leave my better half unlikely to get upgrade leaving me in the rear? Thanks!
#81
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,669
I'm EXP with about 15K EQD wife is PlatPro with 9K EQD.... We are trying to use SWU's from DFW to PVG on 2/28 and return 4/3 from NRT-DFW AA178 .... Would we be better off splinting our PNR or would that leave my better half unlikely to get upgrade leaving me in the rear? Thanks!
Those would suggest your chances are pretty good. I wouldn't split the PNR now, but I would subscribe to Expertflyer and set an alert for C1 on those flights. Then you could review the seating situation at that moment and call and split the PNR if it seems like the right thing to do.
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,191
Agreed -- your chances of both getting upgraded are higher if you keep the PNR together; you both get EXP priority in the waitlist (although at 15k EQD it's probably not that high). I'd monitor the flight via ExpertFlyer, and if you see business class inventory availability start to dwindle in the 2-3 weeks before departure then you can re-assess.
#83
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earth
Programs: AA - EXP 1MM, Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, BA, DL, TWA Royal Ambassador
Posts: 309
2/28 is a long way off (J bookings tend to happen in the 1-3 weeks before the flight) but at the moment AA127 has only eight seats taken in J. 4/3 is even further off, but currently AA176 has just 6 seats taken. Those would suggest your chances are pretty good. I wouldn't split the PNR now, but I would subscribe to Expertflyer and set an alert for C1 on those flights. Then you could review the seating situation at that moment and call and split the PNR if it seems like the right thing to do.
Agreed -- your chances of both getting upgraded are higher if you keep the PNR together; you both get EXP priority in the waitlist (although at 15k EQD it's probably not that high). I'd monitor the flight via ExpertFlyer, and if you see business class inventory availability start to dwindle in the 2-3 weeks before departure then you can re-assess.
#84
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
Data point:
AA61 DFW-NRT on 1 Feb
My wife and I were upgraded on 13 Jan using Miles+Copy from PE. Bought the ticket early September and were waitlisted since.
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats.
I'm EXP with about 20K rolling EQD this time of year.
AA61 DFW-NRT on 1 Feb
My wife and I were upgraded on 13 Jan using Miles+Copy from PE. Bought the ticket early September and were waitlisted since.
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats.
I'm EXP with about 20K rolling EQD this time of year.
#85
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,293
Data point:
AA61 DFW-NRT on 1 Feb
My wife and I were upgraded on 13 Jan using Miles+Copy from PE. Bought the ticket early September and were waitlisted since.
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats.
I'm EXP with about 20K rolling EQD this time of year.
AA61 DFW-NRT on 1 Feb
My wife and I were upgraded on 13 Jan using Miles+Copy from PE. Bought the ticket early September and were waitlisted since.
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats.
I'm EXP with about 20K rolling EQD this time of year.
- Have they already taken your miles and charged your credit card?
- Did the date marked ticketed change on your on-line reservation?
#86
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
So, a couple of questions... both of which assume that your seats now reflect your upgrade
- Have they already taken your miles and charged your credit card?
- Did the date marked ticketed change on your on-line reservation?
I did have a miles+copay clear within T24 LHR-DFW back in October, and those miles and the $350 were never charged to me for that one. But that could have been an LHR station error.
When I log into my account, in the reservation it still shows the upgrades as "Requested" and not "Confirmed", as it usually does when you clear. So I'm not sure what's up with AA's system on this right now. My card hasn't been hit, nor my miles deducted as of yet... 5 days later.
#87
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,669
As noted somewhere up above, a couple of weeks ago I got an upgrade from PE to J, for a March flight. Like you, I wasn't notified; I noticed on-line (computer, not on App) that seats had gone missing in PE. Called in. Confirmed mileage account and credit card. Now shows on-line as us sitting in J. But no miles have left the account and nothing, not even pending, has hit the credit card. I'm wondering if this is normal; and if it is not normal, then what? TIA.
If it has been more than a week, then call them again and give the credit card info again.
#88
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
Ticketing can be slow, especially if the flight is a ways out - but if it takes more than a week then the credit card authorization is often lost, which means nothing will happen until you call in again or try to check in online (which won't be allowed since the upgrade won't have been ticketed).
If it has been more than a week, then call them again and give the credit card info again.
If it has been more than a week, then call them again and give the credit card info again.
#89
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA Exec Plat, DL Plat (but not for long)
Posts: 175
If you're Executive Platinum using your own SWU, your chances are 72%.
If you don't have any elite status on AA and are using a SWU gifted by someone else, then your chances are 17%.
In either case, your chances are much higher if you use the SWU than if you don't. @:-)
Good luck!
If you don't have any elite status on AA and are using a SWU gifted by someone else, then your chances are 17%.
In either case, your chances are much higher if you use the SWU than if you don't. @:-)
Good luck!
Flying LAX-GRU AA 215 on 2/22/19. I am Plat in Premium Economy and waitlisted with Miles+Copay. There are currently 11 open seats on seat map. What are the chances with this one?
#90
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earth
Programs: AA - EXP 1MM, Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, BA, DL, TWA Royal Ambassador
Posts: 309
Data point: AA61 DFW-NRT on 1 Feb My wife and I were upgraded on 13 Jan using Miles+Copy from PE. Bought the ticket early September and were waitlisted since.
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats
Didn't get an EF alert, either. Only noticed when I refreshed our trip in the app and saw we did not have assigned seats
Last edited by MarJon; Jan 17, 2019 at 6:54 am