PowerLu

Mind reporting your experience?

tfizzle

Hmm, now T-30 for a PDX-JFK, I"m EXP and reservation says I'm waitlisted for First.
EF shows J/C 3. It has fluctuated from J2 to J5 back to J3.
Wife is on a separate PNR so we could hopefully get one upgrade. Note: if I get it, I usually swap seats with her.

Nice to be waitlisted, but will be curious to see where I am on the waitlist, when it is published, is that at 24 hours?

tfizzle

Update.
As a EXP was fourth on the list with 3 F seats open at T-24 when I checked in.
But this morning woke up for a first upgrade on PDX-JFK on AS.
I'll be a good husband and trade with my wife who was premium cabin.

LowValueCustomer

I've always been able to select premium economy seats for myself and a companion immediately after booking, assuming there are 2+ seats available. Last two trips, the app has been refusing to let me check in online and stating that I owe seat selection fees, which is a nuisance but the AS agents have taken care of it at the airport without issue both times.

AAway

Is it possible you were on X (saver) ticket?

LowValueCustomer

Great question, but no - I went back and looked; these trips were on O and L inventory.

wdwright

I can buy a roundtrip XNA-SFO itinerary on either American on Alaska. The Alaska price is $400 cheaper. The Alaska itinerary has 3 flights on AA metal and one on Alaska metal. The American itinerary has those same 3 flights and one (LAX-SFO) on American metal. Haven't done this before so I am wondering:

1. As an EXP buying on AA.com, most of the time I get upgraded on these flights, where do I stand on upgrades with an Alaska ticket?
2. On the Alaska site, it won't let me select free MCE seats. Do I have to switch to the American site for that?
3. If I buy the Alaska tickets, should I be putting in my AA Advantage number?

Advice appreciated.

VegasGambler

Your upgrade will not be auto-requested unless the flight is marketed and operated by AA. It doesn't matter who sells it, but you need AA flight numbers. In my experience (admittedly just one flight, and it was a B6 codeshare) the EXP phone agent can't do anything about this. However, the GA can (apparently) add you to the list at the gate. Note that the AA website says this too on the page explaining 500-mile / comp upgrades -- flights must be marketed and operated by AA.

One thing though -- AA just hacked something together to allow AS elites to get upgrades on AS codeshares (previously they had to be AA flight numbers). So I wonder if this also allows AA elites to be upgraded on these flights (ie, if what I wrote above no longer applies to AS codeshares). If so, please let us know.

To get MCE seats, just pull up the res on the AA app. You can select MCE seats as you would if you had bought through AA.

And, yes, to get any of your AA benefits you need to have your AA number on the res. Otherwise how would they know you are EXP?

aztimm

Absolutely not true for my experiences for flying on AS as an AA elite, but my experience is just one trip, AUS-SFO-AUS. I purchased through the AS website, the flights were AS prime (no AA flight numbers connected to them). Heck, I even used AS gift cards to buy (thank you Costco). Yes, I did put in my AA frequent flyer info.
Almost right after purchase I was able to move up to the AS version of MCE.
About 3 days before the first flight I was automatically upgraded to F (it wasn't quite enough time to select a meal though). No input needed on my part.
The night before the return flight, I was automatically upgraded to F, again with no input necessary on my part.

The flights did credit to my AA account, but took about 1-1/2 week.

I'd highly recommend that anyone buying through AS get gift cards through Costco. They almost always have $500 value for $450, and occasionally for $400.

Flying for Fun

AS authenticates your AA FF# during the payment process. You won't be able to select Premium Class seating until after payment. You can skip seat selection and then return to select Premium Class seating after purchase.

You are talking about two different things. When you purchase an AS Prime flight from AS with your AA FF#, an upgrade request is automatic. That is a benefit of the new closer ties between AA & AS.

If you purchase an AA codeshare flight operated by AS on AA.com, there is no upgrade request on the AS segment since it isn't marketed & operated by AA.

Unless there is now an exception for AA codeshare flights on AS metal as there is on AS codeshare flights on AA metal, purchasing an AA codeshare flight wouldn't automatically generate an upgrade request as it wouldn't be eligible

James

VegasGambler

The reason that your experience doesn't match is that we are talking about different things. I'm talking about flying AS marketed, AA operated flights as an AA elite.

You are talking about flying on AS marketed, AS operated flights as an AA elite.

The post that I'm responding to (in the title) specifically refers to "AA metal".

As for the Costco thing, I'll take my 5 Amex pts per dollar and free travel insurance over a 10% discount (especially considering the tire fire that is currently AS ops)

This is correct re: AS operated flights, but, again, the discussion is about AA metal. There is no "premium class" seating. But OP can select MCE through the AA app as long as his AA FF# is attached. As soon as the number is attached the res should show up automatically in the app.

Flying for Fun

Incorrect!

AA = MCE - Main Cabin Extra.
AS = Premium Class.

That is how AS markets it!

MCE is disbursed throughout the Main Cabin while Premium Class is consistently rows 6-9/10 in the Main Cabin.

James

VegasGambler

The post was asking about upgrades on AA metal. There is no premium class on AA.

Possibly the post was in the wrong thread but he specifically asked about an AS codeshare on AA metal.

Flying for Fun

I think you are confused! The poster is asking about purchasing an itinerary on AS with the last flight on AS metal, the first 3 on AA metal because it is $400 cheaper than booking the whole itinerary on AA. The AA metal segments marketed by AS are the same 3 segments with AA Prime flight numbers marketed by AA.

In this case, the poster would be eligible, by his status, to select MCE seating on the AA metal segments via AA and Premium Class on the AS segment after the itinerary is purchased.

As of late, complimentary upgrades are requested on the AA flights marketed by AS, at least for AS Elites. I haven't seen any datapoints of upgrade requests on AS codeshare flights with an AA FF# in the PNR. The AS segment would be automatic.

James

Flying for Fun

Which means he was booking on the AS website! You can't select AA seating on the AS website and you can't select Premium Class on the AS segment until after purchase. Once purchased, MCE can be selected via AA & Premium Class via AS.

James