Feb 28, 2022, 10:45 am
Last edit by: aztimm
Expanding complimentary upgrades
AAdvantage Gold® and AAdvantage Platinum® members now have more opportunities to upgrade from Main / Premium Economy to the next class of service. Starting with flights on March 2, 2022, we’re expanding complimentary upgrades to all purchased, published fares on American within North America.*All complimentary upgrades for existing reservations will be available by March 2.
Some reminders:
- We’ll automatically request the upgrade if everyone in your booking is eligible for a complimentary upgrade – no action needed from you.
- Your upgrade may be cleared as early as 24 hours before departure for AAdvantage Gold® and 48 hours for AAdvantage Platinum® members.
- Upgrades within North America remain complimentary for AAdvantage Executive Platinum® and AAdvantage Platinum Pro® members.
The future of companion and 500-mile upgrades
Later in 2022, all AAdvantage® status members will be able to enjoy a complimentary upgrade for 1 companion traveling on the same flight within North America. When that happens, we’ll convert all available 500-mile upgrades to 250 Loyalty Points each. This addition of Loyalty Points helps you reach AAdvantage® status faster.Simplifying your upgrade experience
You'll continue to be added to the airport upgrade list if your upgrade request hasn’t cleared before check-in. We’re beginning to roll out an enhanced upgrade experience in 2022 for status members at the airport: Upgrades will automatically clear 40 minutes before your flight departure if seats are available. This will apply to all airports within North America. Once your upgrade clears, you’ll be notified on the app or on the gate monitor.With automatic clearance, you'll have a more consistent experience and should know the status of your upgrade request sooner.
Be sure you’ve checked in early so you’re on the upgrade list. If you aren’t on the list before the automatic clearance, you’ll be prioritized after the airport upgrade list has cleared.
*You can use 500-mile upgrades to pay for travel companions who do not hold AAdvantage® status.
Complimentary Upgrades in NA for Platinum and Gold
Feb 28, 2022, 9:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin
Programs: AA Platinum 4MM; Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 337
Complimentary Upgrades in NA for Platinum and Gold
Just received an email this morning from American sharing the information that beginning on 2 March 2022, Platinums and Golds are included in the complimentary upgrade to first for travel on flights in North America. Later this year, they'll add an upgrade of a companion on same ticket, as well.
I hadn't seen this anywhere else. I'm glad I didn't buy any upgrade certs, recently!
I hadn't seen this anywhere else. I'm glad I didn't buy any upgrade certs, recently!
Feb 28, 2022, 9:23 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MHK
Programs: AA Exec Plat - some level of status in IHG, Marriot & HIlton
Posts: 1,538
Just got it and came here to see if it was being discussed. I may not have went the extra mile to qualify for platinum pro last week if I had known this. I am sure I will be glad that I did though. Will be interesting how it shakes out, but I see this as a positive for me.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:24 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 891
Just received an email this morning from American sharing the information that beginning on 2 March 2022, Platinums and Golds are included in the complimentary upgrade to first for travel on flights in North America. Later this year, they'll add an upgrade of a companion on same ticket, as well.
I hadn't seen this anywhere else. I'm glad I didn't buy any upgrade certs, recently!
I hadn't seen this anywhere else. I'm glad I didn't buy any upgrade certs, recently!
looks like they will be converted to 250 loyalty points each, later this year. So basically I paid 16 cents each per LP.
Kind of disappointing.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:27 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MHK
Programs: AA Exec Plat - some level of status in IHG, Marriot & HIlton
Posts: 1,538
I hadn't read that info about them being converted to loyally points. Glad to see we get something out of them.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:39 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: USA
Programs: AA-EXP; UA-Silver; Bonvoy-Titanium
Posts: 480
I never bought an upgrade, so honest question here. Is there an advantage to buying the upgrades before you needed them? I thought you had the option to buy them at the time you needed to use them.
I hadn't read that info about them being converted to loyally points. Glad to see we get something out of them.
I hadn't read that info about them being converted to loyally points. Glad to see we get something out of them.
So, you had to buy them during check-in to be added to the upgrade list or be removed from the possibility of an upgrade all together. However, you did not know if you would clear the upgrade list. So, you were forced to buy them during check-in, would not clear the upgrade, and now they sit in your account and are worthless (250 LP is a joke) -- pretty F'd up in my opinion.
They should really refund the purchased ones or offer more than scraps for them - or at least not give just a 2-day announcement
It's an overall positive change, but I can see lots of elites upset about their now-worthless upgrade certs - especially those that purchased them with cash (e.g. lots of Gold elites).
Feb 28, 2022, 9:48 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 112
Lifetime platinum who has been buying them with my and so Amex Business Platinums, which need to be set to AA for the 35%, for the last few years. Sitting on almost 50 of them because so hard to get upgraded and these 250 points are worthless to me
Feb 28, 2022, 9:50 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Some/Most/All
Posts: 263
As a near-perpetual Gold, this is a downgrade, IMHO. Under the sticker plan, there was always the chance that a few Elites on a given flight wouldn’t want to burn stickers for whatever reason and not request the upgrade. Now everyone is on the same playing field. I can’t complain about it too much, but it is a small edge that was just chipped away. I guess I should get serious about ‘Bonzai Plat’ or even B-PPro.
Last edited by JBKettle; Feb 28, 2022 at 10:02 am
Feb 28, 2022, 9:52 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: $9 Fare Club
Posts: 1,545
Must be just retiring any system that tracks EQMs.
For what its worth, I actually liked the sticker system in that it acted as a tangible hurdle at the PL/GL level, on a transcon you'd have to think about it before you put down ~$320.
For what its worth, I actually liked the sticker system in that it acted as a tangible hurdle at the PL/GL level, on a transcon you'd have to think about it before you put down ~$320.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:54 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 676
Originally Posted by Phasers;[url=tel:34032185
34032185[/url]]I just bought 5 upgrades.
looks like they will be converted to 250 loyalty points each, later this year. So basically I paid 16 cents each per LP.
Kind of disappointing.
looks like they will be converted to 250 loyalty points each, later this year. So basically I paid 16 cents each per LP.
Kind of disappointing.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:55 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX oriented World Digital Nomad
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Globalist, MLife/Cosmo Identity Gold, Other Vegas too...
Posts: 1,321
So basically in 24 hours these stickers will only be useful for upgrading friends with zero status? Until some TBD date when they become even more worthless. Well at least I won’t have to feel bad using them now on random routes, losing “200+ dollars” to upgrade an acquaintance or lazy boyfriend who doesn’t play hard / work hard and to cross country now becomes losing 1250 loyalty points. Lord. I can handle that. But still shocked at the way they are valued.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:58 am
#12
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Here's a link to the relevant information:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...pgrade-updates
This was pretty surprising by AA as they announced this with no build up to take place in just three days. I guess it was inevitable to switch over but you'd have thought they did it when they merged.
Wish I hadn't just bought $200 worth of upgrades. I don't think that's worth 250 LP
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...pgrade-updates
This was pretty surprising by AA as they announced this with no build up to take place in just three days. I guess it was inevitable to switch over but you'd have thought they did it when they merged.
Wish I hadn't just bought $200 worth of upgrades. I don't think that's worth 250 LP
Feb 28, 2022, 9:59 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,272
Feb 28, 2022, 9:59 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott LT Plat | Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 11,663
So basically in 24 hours these stickers will only be useful for upgrading friends with zero status? Until some TBD date when they become even more worthless. Well at least I won’t have to feel bad using them now on random routes, losing “200+ dollars” to upgrade an acquaintance or lazy boyfriend who doesn’t play hard / work hard and to cross country now becomes losing 1250 loyalty points. Lord. I can handle that. But still shocked at the way they are valued.
I have 24 stickers left down from some 60 odd thanks to traveling less for work and therefore no longer being single. Still, quite shocked it's happening with literally zero notice.
Feb 28, 2022, 10:05 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PP, DL PM
Posts: 2,105
I wonder if this means that Alaska MVP and MVP Gold might start getting upgrades behind AA Gold and AA Plat, respectively. It would also be nice if the reverse becomes true on Alaska (upgrades for Gold and Platinum).