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)
#91
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earth
Programs: AA - EXP 1MM, Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, BA, DL, TWA Royal Ambassador
Posts: 309
I would call the EXP desk to confirm and offer the CC info.... wouldn't wait until check in........
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,233
My magic black box.
0%, you might want to double-check your reservation.
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?
#93
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,461
Another data point...
Booked in W on AA50 DFW-LHR on Jan 18. Chose this flight when I bought the ticket a few weeks ago as J was wide open with more than 25 empty seats in the seatmap. No C availability at booking so waitlisted with an SWU.
J has remained relatively open since then so I had little doubt I would eventually clear. Checked just prior to T-36 and just prior to T-35 and it still showed C0. Jumped to C7 about one minute after T-35. Called the EXP desk about 15 minutes later to confirm the upgrade as window seats were getting scarce.
Inventory stayed at C7 for almost 2 hours after that and is now down to C1. Suggests a longish delay from inventory availability to automatic processing of the waitlist.
My EF notification came through about 45 minutes after inventory opened up.
If you’re on the waitlist it’s definitely worth rechecking inventory around the T-36 mark or shortly after.
Booked in W on AA50 DFW-LHR on Jan 18. Chose this flight when I bought the ticket a few weeks ago as J was wide open with more than 25 empty seats in the seatmap. No C availability at booking so waitlisted with an SWU.
J has remained relatively open since then so I had little doubt I would eventually clear. Checked just prior to T-36 and just prior to T-35 and it still showed C0. Jumped to C7 about one minute after T-35. Called the EXP desk about 15 minutes later to confirm the upgrade as window seats were getting scarce.
Inventory stayed at C7 for almost 2 hours after that and is now down to C1. Suggests a longish delay from inventory availability to automatic processing of the waitlist.
My EF notification came through about 45 minutes after inventory opened up.
If you’re on the waitlist it’s definitely worth rechecking inventory around the T-36 mark or shortly after.
#94
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
Slightly off-topic, but I would almost never use a SWU on a W fare, since a miles upgrade on a W fare is just 15000 niles and no copay. I prefer to use my SWU's to avoid copays.
#95
Join Date: May 2018
Location: PHX
Programs: HH Diamond - Marriott Titanium- AA EP
Posts: 64
AA Lax-Hkg 193
Hi FT community,
What are your thoughts on SWU clearing for this flight....
I have confirmed PE seat and have been waitlisted for C space since booking about 2 weeks ago. Any data points on chances of this clearing?
EXP w/ 25k rolling EQD
thx!
sorry attached didn’t upload for 2/7 flight.
What are your thoughts on SWU clearing for this flight....
I have confirmed PE seat and have been waitlisted for C space since booking about 2 weeks ago. Any data points on chances of this clearing?
EXP w/ 25k rolling EQD
thx!
sorry attached didn’t upload for 2/7 flight.
#96
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,233
I suspect there's a chance the poster was using "W" to refer to the cabin, not the booking class, but yes, if booked in actual W, I'd go for the mileage upgrade, unless of course I had an expiring SWU with no other need for it.
#97
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,461
DUH... it was a P fare. Not sure why I spaced that earlier. Upgrade would have been 25,000 miles plus $350.
#98
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Lifetime Plat, AC 25k, HHonors Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 19
Flying LAX-HKG this weekend (AA 193, 1/19/19, 11:50 pm). I am using my EXP cousin's SWU, but it has yet to clear. There are currently 14 open seats in Business. Been checking Expert Flyer for weeks, but C space has never opened up. Below are the fare buckets as of this morning on Expert Flyer. What do these say about the chances of clearing, both before and after arriving at the airport? I am Platinum myself, to the extent that matters. Thanks!
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
#99
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Flying LAX-HKG this weekend (AA 193, 1/19/19, 11:50 pm). I am using my EXP cousin's SWU, but it has yet to clear. There are currently 14 open seats in Business. Been checking Expert Flyer for weeks, but C space has never opened up. Below are the fare buckets as of this morning on Expert Flyer. What do these say about the chances of clearing, both before and after arriving at the airport? I am Platinum myself, to the extent that matters. Thanks!
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
#100
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
So I logged in for my flight tomorrow (DFW-SFO) and noticed that I "lost" my paid F seat in the mini-cabin of the 788.
All of the seats in the replacement (788) aircraft are "occupied". Apparently this version of the 788 scheduled for tomorrow has PE seating. My reservations still indicated that I'm F and that my seat will be assigned at the airport. I'm just hopeful that AA doesn't send me to PE or Y because the upgrades they've handed out already stick over a paid F seat. But then again, maybe they've blocked all the seats as there's a chance that perhaps the aircraft may revert back to one that has the J-mini cabin.
Nonetheless, what do they do if there are more paid F seats sold than can be accommodated? I've not experienced them bumping upgrades. More likely I'm sent to Y and refunded $$ and given miles... Sucks!!
All of the seats in the replacement (788) aircraft are "occupied". Apparently this version of the 788 scheduled for tomorrow has PE seating. My reservations still indicated that I'm F and that my seat will be assigned at the airport. I'm just hopeful that AA doesn't send me to PE or Y because the upgrades they've handed out already stick over a paid F seat. But then again, maybe they've blocked all the seats as there's a chance that perhaps the aircraft may revert back to one that has the J-mini cabin.
Nonetheless, what do they do if there are more paid F seats sold than can be accommodated? I've not experienced them bumping upgrades. More likely I'm sent to Y and refunded $$ and given miles... Sucks!!
#101
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Follow-up
Appreciate all of the discussion and information:
Although my seats were showing as upgraded and the ticket was showing as ticketed, the date of the ticketing was the original purchase date. So I bit the bullet and asked about this reservation when I was calling in about something else earlier today. The CSR could see that the miles deduction and co-payment had not gone through. She said that this would not have ended well, and pushed the deduction and payment through the system. My seat arrangements held, and I got an e-mail notification (receipt). My trip now shows the ticketing date as today (not November when original PE seats were purchased.
Moral? As advised above, call at some point if the payments don't go through, even if a quick glance shows "ticketed" and the seats you want seem to have been given to you. Is it possible that if I had not called in, that I could have checked-in on-line, shown up at the airport and flown, being less poor by 45,000 miles (10% credit card discount!) and $700? Possibly, but the thought of not getting the upgrade and maybe even getting dumped further in the back on a trip with spouse means that I won't be the DP for that one. (If it had been just me, might have taken the chance... ). I did take the opportunity to move the $700 (2x$350) to the Chase RC Visa, since seat upgrades are one of the few legit things one can claim for the card's $300 annual travel credit. Takes the edge off disappointment of maybe having kicked back an airline-makes-error-in-your-favor freebie.
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.
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 called in to add an infant to the record, and they didn't mention anything about confirming my card to charge the copay and deduct the miles.
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.
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.
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.
Moral? As advised above, call at some point if the payments don't go through, even if a quick glance shows "ticketed" and the seats you want seem to have been given to you. Is it possible that if I had not called in, that I could have checked-in on-line, shown up at the airport and flown, being less poor by 45,000 miles (10% credit card discount!) and $700? Possibly, but the thought of not getting the upgrade and maybe even getting dumped further in the back on a trip with spouse means that I won't be the DP for that one. (If it had been just me, might have taken the chance... ). I did take the opportunity to move the $700 (2x$350) to the Chase RC Visa, since seat upgrades are one of the few legit things one can claim for the card's $300 annual travel credit. Takes the edge off disappointment of maybe having kicked back an airline-makes-error-in-your-favor freebie.
#102
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Flying LAX-HKG this weekend (AA 193, 1/19/19, 11:50 pm). I am using my EXP cousin's SWU, but it has yet to clear. There are currently 14 open seats in Business. Been checking Expert Flyer for weeks, but C space has never opened up. Below are the fare buckets as of this morning on Expert Flyer. What do these say about the chances of clearing, both before and after arriving at the airport? I am Platinum myself, to the extent that matters. Thanks!
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
F0 A0 J7 R7 D7 I4 W1 P0 Y5 B0 H2 K1
M0 L0 G5 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 E0
#103
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA Exec Plat, DL Plat (but not for long)
Posts: 175
#105
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214