Last edit by: JDiver
Chances of Upgrade Request Clearing (Be aware of possible upgrade priority changes as of Loyalty Points becoming the qualifier for rewards)
(Upgrades were prioritized by elite status and then time of request until 20 May 2017)
Elite status
Upgrade type
Then, by
Link to 2020-2021 archived thread.
For previous changes, 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
(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
- EQD earned, possibly changing to Loyalty Points earned, in the past 12 months (rolling) as far as we know today
- Booking class
- Time of request
Link to 2020-2021 archived thread.
For previous changes, 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
Chances of Upgrade Clearing and Availability (2022 master thread)
#586
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Silver/MM, Hilton Diamond, Hertz 5* Gold
Posts: 6,638

#587
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage PLT PRO | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 705
Well then all things being equal I don't or haven't seen lists like that anywhere else.
Anyway the boarding area at DTW was chaos. Group 1 must have been 50 people and I heard people talking to each other with sayings like "what is going on here? I'm #14! I used to always get an upgrade on this flight" and "No I didn't get an upgrade and I'm 6 on the upgrade list. First time for that, wow". Clearly elite members are seeing the app buy up in action.
Anyway the boarding area at DTW was chaos. Group 1 must have been 50 people and I heard people talking to each other with sayings like "what is going on here? I'm #14! I used to always get an upgrade on this flight" and "No I didn't get an upgrade and I'm 6 on the upgrade list. First time for that, wow". Clearly elite members are seeing the app buy up in action.

#588
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage PLT PRO | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 705

#589
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 189
When I see 50 people in group one at a non hub airport, it's because people can't hear, and once a mass starts to do something everyone follows as a cascading effect. I don't think its about too many people becoming EXP with the new program or in app buyups. Keep in mind gate agents are not incentivized in any way to enforce boarding groups - their goal is to get people on the plan as quickly as possible, and it is SO frustrating when the PA isn't audible and everyone just starts boarding.

#590
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 890

#591
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 618
Unlike I think DL, AA won't tell you how many seats are open. Generally, within 4 hours of the flight if you check aa.com you can get an idea of how many seats are are open. HOWEVER, remember someone might have a F/J ticket and still hasn't chosen a seat (it does happen more than you'd think), a seat can be taken by a displaced paid F pax (someone like me last Saturday that needed to be rerouted) or on occasion someone might actually buy an F seat at the last moment. Open seats are assigned at the gate in order usually about 40 minutes out. So if you're number one or two on the list you want to be at the gate before then.

#592
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 589
AA JFK-LAX on Friday 9/23: #4 on the upgrade to J. #1 and #2 cleared the upgrade (I think #2 was already sitting in coach when she move to business).
AA LAX-JK on Monday 9/26: #1 on the list. Received my J boarding pass about 10' before boarding. #2 also cleared after everybody had boarded.
[EXP, about 150k LP so far]
AA LAX-JK on Monday 9/26: #1 on the list. Received my J boarding pass about 10' before boarding. #2 also cleared after everybody had boarded.
[EXP, about 150k LP so far]

#593
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 27,151
Wonder how the upgrade lists today from TPA to RDU, CLT, DFW, ORD are looking.


#594
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Silver/MM, Hilton Diamond, Hertz 5* Gold
Posts: 6,638
You can't. Unlike DL and UA, AA doesn't tell you the number of seats open. You have to go to something like Expertflyer or start a fake booking and look at the seat map.

#595
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: SNA/ONT
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 88
PP / 131k LP
Monday morning
ONT-PHX - 2/16, 1 cleared at the gate
PHX-CMH - Cleared at 24h
Friday morning
CMH-DFW - 6/28, 2 cleared at the gate
DFW-ONT - Cleared at 24h
Pretty happy with my first segments as PP.
Monday morning
ONT-PHX - 2/16, 1 cleared at the gate
PHX-CMH - Cleared at 24h
Friday morning
CMH-DFW - 6/28, 2 cleared at the gate
DFW-ONT - Cleared at 24h
Pretty happy with my first segments as PP.

#596
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: CLE
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 5,524
I had something happen that I did not know was a thing: I put an economy award ticket on hold for the next day while I looked into options. Within minutes, I recieved an email that my upgrade had cleared. Interestingly I could not book it online anymore. I had to call.

#597
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 618
I had something happen that I did not know was a thing: I put an economy award ticket on hold for the next day while I looked into options. Within minutes, I recieved an email that my upgrade had cleared. Interestingly I could not book it online anymore. I had to call.

#598
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 890
I kinda screwed myself out of an upgrade this week.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.

#599
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 618
I kinda screwed myself out of an upgrade this week.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.

#600
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, accidental DL FO, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,912
I kinda screwed myself out of an upgrade this week.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.
Was originally booked Tues DEN-DFW and DFW-TUL. Was waitlisted for DEN-DFW and already confirmed for DFW-TUL. On Monday morning I SDC'd to an earlier set of flights about 23 hours from new departure. DFW-TUL upgraded instantly and let me select F seat during SDC confirmation. DEN-DFW was waitlisted. At midnight I was #1 on the waitlist with 1 J still open per expert flyer. When I dropped my bags the agent told me there was still 1 open. But when I got to the lounge I never got an upgrade notice on my phone app at the 1 hour mark and the single J disappeared from expert flyer. No one else on the upgrade list showed confirmed either, so I decided to hang in the lounge until the last minute, arriving at the gate about 17-20 minutes before takeoff. I was probably the last to board, and the gate agent said I just missed my upgrade and they gave it away to someone else who had just now boarded.
EXP 216K LPs.
1. It seems odd to me that no one on the list showed as cleared if the seat went to another upgrader. Usually in this scenario, you'll see a checkmark by #2 on the list, rather than #1.
2. GAs really aren't supposed to skip over those on the list who aren't at the gate. You should've initially cleared. Only after that, if they truly think you wouldn't show up (certainly a risk at T-17 minutes), should they "un-upgrade" you and then upgrade #2.
However, I agree with the poster above who warns that you can't rely on them to give you the upgrade 100% of the time unless you're right there at the podium to get a new BP when they call your name. Mobile BPs should have fixed the need to be physically present years ago, but some rogue GAs still insist on making sure the passenger is there to accept the upgrade so they won't have to undo everything and go on board to upgrade someone else just before the door closes.
