Upgrade Priority Question - Bizarre Encounter at Gate

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Mar 28, 2023 | 8:01 am

#16

sexykitten7

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: PWM

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,556

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL

These need to be requested in advance:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...vel.jsp#making

Contact Reservations or visit an American Airlines Travel Center to request a mileage upgrade award.
You may request an upgrade when you book your trip or at any time before check-in.

Side question: Do "American Airlines Travel Centers" exist any more? This makes me think of the off airport ticket offices in cities. I guess it could be a service desk in the airport too?

Good to know thanks! But I don't understand why she would pay 75 at the gate? Don't you pay upfront in miles and cash, even for waitlisting?

Mar 28, 2023 | 8:16 am

#17

PHL

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2000

Location: PHL

Programs: AA PLT, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH LTD

Posts: 10,741

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexykitten7

Good to know thanks! But I don't understand why she would pay 75 at the gate? Don't you pay upfront in miles and cash, even for waitlisting?

Not sure what the agent meant by 'reticketing fee' being $75.. And no, she would not be able to process a points+copay upgrade at the gate anyway. After reading this thread multiple times, I'm not really sure what transpired. It seems evident that #1 and #2, through whatever upgrade means they used, were an all or none situation. #3 got the seat as a solo traveler. Then whomever requested the upgrade as a pair wants to change the request to send their companion back to coach while they still take the upgrade.

sexykitten7 likes this.

Mar 29, 2023 | 11:03 am

#18

nineworldseries

Join Date: Feb 2013

Location: CMH, West Coast

Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald

Posts: 2,741

Am I the only one that finds even more juvenile delight in "B VER" than in "HAR,D" ?

thatMan likes this.

Mar 29, 2023 | 11:42 am

#19

bscooter26

Join Date: Jan 2019

Location: GCM, formerly DFW

Programs: AA Exp

Posts: 303

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL

I've upgraded from J to F on a 321T using miles by asking an agent in the AC before. It might have even been within 1hr of departure as it was an impulse buy as I was walking out of the FL to head to the gate.

sexykitten7 likes this.

Mar 29, 2023 | 4:21 pm

#20

Alex_I

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: Everywhere

Programs: AA EXP - 4MM, Bonv LIFETIME Titan, HH Dmd, Hyatt Glob., Priority Clb Dmd, Ntnl Exec El., Sixt PLT

Posts: 1,771

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexykitten7

Good to know thanks! But I don't understand why she would pay 75 at the gate? Don't you pay upfront in miles and cash, even for waitlisting?

- Perhaps, she asked for a mileage upgrade just minutes before the boarding and GA added her and another passenger on the upgrade list without collecting $75 copay for domestic mileage upgrade. This would explain why GA ask her to pay $75 for the seat as it was mileage upgrade.
Note that ticketing fee at the counter is $35 and it is waived for EP. The only other $75 fee is for the same day doemstic flight change (also waived for EP).

Mar 31, 2023 | 4:35 am

#21

BrianV

Original Poster

Join Date: Oct 2006

Location: AUS, LAX

Programs: AA EXP - 2.4 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec

Posts: 1,655

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexykitten7

Good to know thanks! But I don't understand why she would pay 75 at the gate? Don't you pay upfront in miles and cash, even for waitlisting?

Speaking from experience, if you mile+copay, a manifest is printed at the gate which tells the agents which people to call to collect copay.

In this case, there were no seats and 20+ on the waitlist, why would they collect copay when at time of request they couldn’t ticket/book it? This was definitely a waitlist situation.

Mar 31, 2023 | 4:39 am

#22

BrianV

Original Poster

Join Date: Oct 2006

Location: AUS, LAX

Programs: AA EXP - 2.4 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec

Posts: 1,655

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL

I'm not really sure what transpired. It seems evident that #1 and #2, through whatever upgrade means they used, were an all or none situation. #3 got the seat as a solo traveler. Then whomever requested the upgrade as a pair wants to change the request to send their companion back to coach while they still take the upgrade.

This was not the case. It was not an all or nothing. Maybe it was for them to pay $75x2, but she was adamant and aggressive to get the one seat herself and split with her companion. However, she was unwilling to do that for $75 + miles, she wanted it purely complementary but as stated, the gate agent said she couldn’t do that as clearly her complementary status threw her further down the pecking order.

Mar 31, 2023 | 4:40 am

#23

BrianV

Original Poster

Join Date: Oct 2006

Location: AUS, LAX

Programs: AA EXP - 2.4 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec

Posts: 1,655

Quote:

Originally Posted by nineworldseries

Am I the only one that finds even more juvenile delight in "B VER" than in "HAR,D" ?

LOL, I’ve always called myself “VERB”, never thought the reverse. Not sure I can un-see this now. Thanks pal!

la2clt, mnhusker, hhdl and 1 others like this.

Mar 31, 2023 | 9:07 am

#24

MathMusic

Join Date: Aug 2017

Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire

Posts: 572

Quote:

Originally Posted by USFlyerUS

I believe you can only have one upgrade type at a time on request for a given flight.

Hmm I don't think that is true, because back in the days of 500 mile upgrades I had both a miles and copay upgrade and a sticker upgrade clear for the same flight. The C upgrade cleared a day or two before the R upgrade cleared day of (I was a lowly gold at the time).

Which then resulted in me having to call AA and ask for my stickers back since I already paid with the miles and copay.

Mar 31, 2023 | 9:12 am

#25

USFlyerUS

Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: Washington, DC

Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold

Posts: 3,881

Quote:

Originally Posted by MathMusic

There are several threads here with people saying this is true. I've never used miles to upgrade, so I have no first hand experience with this. Others on here definitely do, though.

I am confused by your post about two upgrades both clearing. I don't see how that would even happen.

Mar 31, 2023 | 12:41 pm

#26

MathMusic

Join Date: Aug 2017

Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire

Posts: 572

The only thing I can think of is my C upgrade cleared before my R upgrade window began, its possible I was on the list twice but separately. AA's IT is fun, lol

Apr 2, 2023 | 1:49 pm

#27

jagoffee

Join Date: May 2009

Location: Mundelein, Il

Programs: Executive Platinum

Posts: 488

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexykitten7

Good to know thanks! But I don't understand why she would pay 75 at the gate? Don't you pay upfront in miles and cash, even for waitlisting?

No, you do not pay upfront to get on the wait list.

sexykitten7 likes this.

Last edited by jagoffee; Apr 3, 2023 at 9:54 pm

Apr 2, 2023 | 2:19 pm

#28

A321T

Join Date: Jan 2015

Location: NYC

Programs: From AA & Marriott to DL & Hyatt

Posts: 231

You only pay the copay after you've been chosen to be upgraded. In my experience it's one of the more frustrating processes because often upgrades clear these days only during boarding and they can't confirm you into the new seat until they've processed your payment, which requires the gate agent calling someone and waiting on-hold while boarding the plane.

This takes so long that I end up boarding after everyone else, just before the doors close. If by chance they can't process payment, my original seat is gone, so I guess I just end up in a bad middle seat or on the next flight? Fortunately that hasn't happened, but it consistently makes this one of the most stressful situations.

sexykitten7 likes this.

Apr 2, 2023 | 2:21 pm

#29

A321T

Join Date: Jan 2015

Location: NYC

Programs: From AA & Marriott to DL & Hyatt

Posts: 231

Quote:

Originally Posted by lrdpenn

I think she was either 1 or 2, an EXP with fewer LPs than you

You were 1.
They asked for a mileage upgrade at the airport which bumped them up to 1 and 2, but said they didn’t want to split up.
With only 1 seat you (#3) get the upgrade.

Only 1 companion can inherit status for upgrades so #12 is either a coincidence or someone else in the party who had their own status, probably a gold.

You're so good at this! This is one of those fun AA mysteries I'm often trying to figure out while traveling, and outside of FT, I only have a handful of friends who'd have any idea what I'm talking about.