500-mile upgrades / stickers converting to Loyalty Points; discussion, options
Jun 24, 2022, 11:13 pm
#136
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, WOH Globalist
Posts: 1,160
When you call AAdvantage Customer Service they will be able to tell you right away. I don't know of any way to check online yourself.
Jun 25, 2022, 8:11 am
#137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,668
You can search your email for "Stickerless Upgrade" and it will pull up all your purchase receipts all the way back, if you have not deleted those emails. However, keep in mind that some of these you may have already used. I found a several purchased ones in my email, and I knew that at least 1-3 were not used (one was a relatively recent purchase, two were from 2019). Indeed, the most recent one was my only paid one that was unused.
Jun 25, 2022, 5:26 pm
#138
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
as a lifetime PLT, the e500 conversion to LPs does kinda sting, and had been saving my earned e500's as someone mentioned in an earlier post to "not compete with everyone" Of course, my travel patterns tend to be during peak travel days (Thursdays/Sundays/Mondays), so never could use the e500's even when I wanted to. Do wish there was another conversion upgrade to something "tangible" vs LPs, as LPs are useless to folks with lifetime GLD or PLT. I do wish there was an option to convert some amount of e500's to a SWU (like 30 or 40 e500s to a single SWU?) as RDMs aren't on the table. One can dream lol.
I don't remember ever purchasing e500s; if I did, it would have a very few well over a decade ago, and since then I've used more e500s than that. So how would they determine which exact e500s were used?
If they're giving 5k for purchased 500s (which I agree is generous), I'd be willing to accept any smaller amount of RDMs, as long as it's RDMs, for earned e500s. I don't see any use for LPs for myself. Gosh, even just 1000 total RDMs (for all 18 of my e500s) would still be way better for me than any amount of LPs, LPs are that useless to me.
I live near an AA hub, and there's no chance of me getting upgraded on most flights form my hub to another significant city due to so many higher elites typically also flying on those flights (I'm almost always far down on the upgrade list). If I'm on a small regional flight with no other elites, though, I wouldn't need LPs to get upgraded. And thus, at least on the routes I fly on AA metal, I don't see a way that LPs would matter to whether I get upgraded or not.
And I have no chance of getting above Plat with LPs, not even for one year.
So what use are LPs to me?
Since I earned lifetime Plat over a decade ago, the only use for EQMs for me, ironically, was to earn e500s. But because of the hub-at-at-least-one-end routes I was flying, I didn't have opportunities to use e500s (successfully) that often.
... And so I think AA needs an alternate solution for lifetime status holders, who have no use for LPs. I don't care what the solution is, as long as it's of some use to us.
Last edited by sdsearch; Jun 25, 2022 at 5:32 pm
Jun 26, 2022, 4:29 pm
#140
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,948
My offer was as follows:
A. 5,750 Loyalty Points (250 Loyalty Points x 23 purchased 500-mile
upgrades)
B. 115,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles (5,000 bonus miles x 23 purchased
500-mile upgrades)
C. Travel Voucher of $820 (the paid amount associated with your 23
purchased 500-mile upgrades)
D. Refund of $820 to the original form of payment or check depending on
when your upgrades were purchased
**Refunds can take 6 - 8 weeks to process**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took the 115,000 miles.
A. 5,750 Loyalty Points (250 Loyalty Points x 23 purchased 500-mile
upgrades)
B. 115,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles (5,000 bonus miles x 23 purchased
500-mile upgrades)
C. Travel Voucher of $820 (the paid amount associated with your 23
purchased 500-mile upgrades)
D. Refund of $820 to the original form of payment or check depending on
when your upgrades were purchased
**Refunds can take 6 - 8 weeks to process**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took the 115,000 miles.
Jun 30, 2022, 12:24 pm
#141
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
Posts: 641
My follow up after receiving a ridiculous phone reply
Called Aaadvantage customer service to find out number of purchased v. earned 500 mile upgrade certs. Agent had a response almost immediately that sounded accurate. Asked about options for conversations and received the stock answer they would be converted to 250 LP each later in the year. Pressed the issue and was asked to wait while supervisor was consulted. A few minutes later came back to say options for purchased e-certs was either 250 LP or refund back to original form of purchase. After advising agent that others had been given the option of 5000 FF miles, she again consulted her supervisor and was told that was not an option. Seems like different people at AA have different info to dispense.
Jun 30, 2022, 5:19 pm
#142
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS MVPG
Posts: 1,395
A no status member of my family complained to AA via Email that LPs were of no value and requested options other than LP in exchange for paid e500s. Here was the reply:
No soup for you!
Originally Posted by Email reply from AAdvantage Customer Service Representative
When implemented, all available 500-mile upgrades will automatically convert to 250 Loyalty Points each. There are no other options that will be available.
Jul 1, 2022, 7:07 am
#143
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LAX now DUS
Programs: AA LT Plat, IHG Plat., former LH HON (now Silver), Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 774
I have 44 of them (earned) in my account and totally forgot. I go back to the times when they were mailed out to members as stickers.
Not sure what I can do with them as I am no longer on AA metal, but yes, on OW very frequently.
Any suggestions?
And I wonder what difference determines purchased vs. earned upgrades, if any?
Not sure what I can do with them as I am no longer on AA metal, but yes, on OW very frequently.
Any suggestions?
My offer was as follows:
A. 5,750 Loyalty Points (250 Loyalty Points x 23 purchased 500-mile
upgrades)
B. 115,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles (5,000 bonus miles x 23 purchased
500-mile upgrades)
C. Travel Voucher of $820 (the paid amount associated with your 23
purchased 500-mile upgrades)
D. Refund of $820 to the original form of payment or check depending on
when your upgrades were purchased
**Refunds can take 6 - 8 weeks to process**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took the 115,000 miles.
A. 5,750 Loyalty Points (250 Loyalty Points x 23 purchased 500-mile
upgrades)
B. 115,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles (5,000 bonus miles x 23 purchased
500-mile upgrades)
C. Travel Voucher of $820 (the paid amount associated with your 23
purchased 500-mile upgrades)
D. Refund of $820 to the original form of payment or check depending on
when your upgrades were purchased
**Refunds can take 6 - 8 weeks to process**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took the 115,000 miles.
Last edited by Microwave; Jul 14, 2022 at 3:34 am Reason: Merged consecutive posts for readability
Jul 1, 2022, 8:37 am
#144
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 627
I still have enough Amex Platinum airline credits to purchase 6 500-mile upgrades — would these still get the option to convert into miles if I bought them today?
Jul 2, 2022, 5:16 pm
#146
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: COS
Programs: AA EXP, United 1K, Marriott Gold, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 2
I was able to purchase 4 of them this afternoon to use up my remaining Amex credits. I first tried the AA app on my phone, but it gave me an error message. Tried again on the full website using a computer and got confirmation email within 10 minutes.
Jul 3, 2022, 12:29 pm
#147
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 532
I was able to get a choice of a refund of 5k miles for each of the "bought" upgrade certificates left in my account. For the handful remaining that I had remaining from my Platinum days 11 years ago, I was unsuccessful in getting them to do anything but the minimal LP offer.
EDIT: Based on previous posts it seems like AA can go back to the beginning of time.
Last edited by EQDsSUCK; Jul 3, 2022 at 3:48 pm
Jul 9, 2022, 5:45 am
#148
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
For those who have an ongoing mix of purchased and earned upgrades coming in and used upgrades going out, I wonder how AA decides which upgrades are used: e.g., oldest first, or newest first, or earned first, or purchased first?
Jul 9, 2022, 8:31 am
#149
Join Date: May 2022
Programs: American EP
Posts: 16
You can check what you have on the app. Go to your wallet, click on 500 mile upgrades and push the drop down arrow on the left of Deposited. Mine shows earned and then deposited.
Jul 9, 2022, 9:58 am
#150
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Paris
Programs: AA LT Plat (4m+), AF Plat, A3 Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat/Ambassador
Posts: 2,648
but I have 50 more in my account... how can you see all of them?