Expertflyer has been failing when trying to search for reward inventory on BA in Z or U. Been like this all weekend.

https://www.expertflyer.com/fw/def/i...dot_000000.gif BA award inventory is temporarily unavailable due to an issue with our data provider. They are actively working to fix the issue. Thank you for your patience.

I much prefer the exit row (over the upgrade). Only problem is BA won't let you put anything under the seat in front of you when in an Exit row.

Just successfully used a SWU for flights next March PIT-LHR-MAD.
Agent had me on hold for a long time as she said "it is all new and I need help to do it" but in the end, the upgrade went through with no problem.
I had been booked in PE on the PIT-LHR segment and Y on LHR-MAD. Both segments upgraded to J.

The only thing I noticed is that I was switched onto the BA prime numbers (I was originally on the AA codeshare #).

(The return segment was AA flights and had been previously upgraded, but the agent never mentioned AA segments being necessary)

Bill

I don't know why BA is doing this. I am BA Silver and have NOT received an SWU for use on AA. Is it only available to BA Gold.

AA members get a lot more from BA than vice-versa in general. I find it particularly wrong that while it is easy to use AA miles on BA ( or other OW ) flights, especially off-peak AA seems to zero out most of their inventory when I try to use Avios for AA North American flights.

I think BA and other OW should cut off AA members from award seats unless AA offered every award seat they offer their own members, let alone offer upgrades on their own flights without reciprocity.

BA silver equivalents on AA don't get these either.

It is a BA Gold status benefit I read - which makes sense since SWUs are an EP statys benefit

If AA is that much better , why would you stay with a scheme that basically doesnt offer reward flights - just slightly discounted tickets ( given the surcharges ) ?

Nice! Did you see confirmable space (understanding there are some EF issues at the moment) or figure you’d call up?

I’d definitely save down your original itinerary / cost to ensure you get the appropriate LP should it post as distance and your LP spend calculation > distance.

Based on the AA SWU page, they’re not needed.

Not speaking for the OP in this case, but W to J on BA hasn't been terribly difficult to come by historically.

And yes, definitely keep records.

The Expertflyer issue has been going on for a while now. This is not new, and it sucks.

My AMEX card does not have the opportunity to transfer to AA. I got BA status last winter with one round-trip YUL-LHR-DXB on an I class ticket. You won't get that on AA. I just wished that AA offers all their award seats to other partner airlines that do the same.

to be honest it would be welcome. I don’t consider an “award “ ticket on BA CW across the Atlantic to cost $1200.

Flip side is that the 57.5k offers (or 85k in F) are easier to come by and often the only awards that are sensible short of shelling out 180k each way on AA. For that delta, I can find award space on Qatar, which would save thousands of dollars. (The sweet spot TATL awards are the 78k web specials in F if you can find them.)

Yes - checked on BA.com for a one-way award, verified there was J award space ("1 seat remaining")
Then, to be safe, also checked on AA.com for a one-way award, also showing there

And yes, after a covid-era refund fiasco with Iberia 2 years ago, I keep receipts, ITA matrix printouts, screenshots, credit card statements, etc...

Just imagine if AA charged ridiculous fuel surcharges on all award flights, making you want to avoid booking award travel with them altogether.

EXP AAgent told me that the "transatlantic" phrasing was for Y -> PE on BA vs. Y -> J on AA or Y -> J on BA Europe. I do find the wording confusing in the T&Cs, though.

Also possible the person I spoke to had it wrong and the policy will be clarified later. Either way, Club Europe is hardly better and often worse than AA MCE.