AA Extending 2020 Status Year SWU Validity 6 Months
 

Extending expiration of systemwide upgrades — link

Any unused systemwide upgrades with an expiration date of January 31, 2021, will be automatically extended through July 31, 2021.

While we’re not awarding new systemwide upgrades with the extension of Executive Platinum status, members who qualify or re-qualify for Executive Platinum status in 2020 will receive 4 systemwide upgrades valid through January 31, 2022.

Accounts will be updated by May 15, 2020.

planing to use them all up before the end of the year.. .. this is going to be fun.. trying to find SWU inventory space on cheaper tickets around the world some where (once it safe of course)

Does anyone know if this applies to the previously extended SWUs now expiring 4/30/2020?

My main concern on upgrade space is whether 77Ws are back in service on some routes. I would love to go to Tokyo in maybe spring 2021, but upgrade space is waaay more likely to be found if DFW-HND is a 77W vs a 788. My Sept DFW-HND flight which was downgraded from a 77W to 787 went to just 2 open J seats (6 months out!).

I swear there was exactly the same thread already which will get merged.

Being in Tokyo I expect to find it quite challenging to use my 4 for this year, let alone the 8-10 I'll have by year's end with the lowered requirements for EXP (I fly JL codes mostly). I'll easily get the 90k EQMs (from JL flights) as long as we can travel quarantine free by October or so but have no faith in the Japanese government to re-open by then. The good thing is that I won't feel so obligated to fly JL codes since everything over 9k EQD doesn't matter this year and can actually attempt to use the abundance of SWUs. I think it's actually revenue neutral for AA, but nice for EXPs not to have to chase EQD's and be able to use the damn upgrades.

The whole EQD thing for foreign residents on AA really gives me the *****, and UA and DL waived it for obvious reasons... well UA did until last year then went to some new model which no one wants to see. As a UA 1K (before) I could use my SWUs regardless of airline code(NH, UA, LH, etc), it just had to be UA metal, or LH code/metal, then they more recently added NH with appropriate fares. That was ideal. ... what am I going to do with 8-10 AA SWUs next year that I can only use on AA code, AA metal flights that award dick in EQD (since foreign residents don't exempt) and fares are going to be dirt cheap again for the foreseeable future.? I hate a $$ based program forcing you to fly other OneWorld airline codes to earn/maintain your benefits, especially since $$ prices of business class flights are way down and will be for quite a while.

Actually considering the reduced rates for JL I fares, this may be a moot point. If most discount biz fares book into I then earning are crap too for EQD purposes. Slight advantage but barely. I call baloney on this. JL is the only JV partner who gets punished on I fares. BA, IB, AY codes are all golden. (25% eqd, no base mile punishment like JL)..

Yeah, good that AA get it right. I have 6 uncommitted SWUs waiting to be used.

Way OT for this thread, but before you get even more fired up about JL earning on AA, I suggest you look at some tentative trips and the fare codes these actually book into. JL does not use the "I" fare bucket like most carriers, most discount business fares book into X, which is full earning.

Its been almost 6 months since this thread was started.

I have 5 SWUs that were extended 6 months to July 2021......but geez.....do we REALLY think we will be able to use them before then....??

Man, I hope they extend them through the end of the year.

This is mostly true, but starting from last year I have seen an increasing number of I fares ex-USA to Asia (usually ~$2500 tickets to China and South Korea).

It is indeed the case that I fares on AA is mapped to X fares on JAL

(1) Is the newish policy -- that SWUs can officially be applied to post-expiration flights if confirmed before expiration -- still in effect?

(2) Is there any indication that the SWUs that were extended from January 2021 to July 2021 may be extended further?

(1) I was just able to do this a few weeks ago
(2) No idea

1 - Definitely - I did it three days ago.

2 - IDK.

Has anyone heard of AA is going to extend the SWU to end of 2021, seems like July is not aligned with what other hotel and airline are doing.

Even if they extend to the end of 2021, at the moment I don't know how I'm going to use 4 SWUs non-wastefully in 2021. It'd be nice if the flight were at least a transcon. Maybe toward the end of the year?

I don’t see being able to use any of my SWUs that are set to expire July 2021.

Any word on if AA will extend them?

I am not comfortable booking any flights for summer yet.

I am HOPING to be back in Bali for thanksgiving for a month.

I just don’t see any vacations happening anytime soon. :(