Re: answer to 1: Is this because it is BA metal? If I am on AA metal, traveling TATL is it possible to get a complimentary upgrade? I am exp on AA

No.

Great advice. Looking at those as well. This award is part of a longer trip (final destination JRO). With the decline in QR award availability, most award routes are pushing us through LHR. Our thinking is we could get to London on a direct flight and spend a day or two there vs. long connect in US, positioning if necessary, possible delays, etc. It would be nice to get to London on one hop, albeit at a cost. Trip isn't until July 2025, so who knows what will be available then.

A question and a comment. 1) If you don't mind my asking, how were you able to determine at this point what award seats are available for travel (as stated in your original post) in July 2025? 2) Your reference to "we" leads me to observe that booking 2 or more business award seats on the same transatlantic flight to London in the middle of the summer may prove challenging.

1) I wish I could. I am merely looking for potential routing options near the end of the current booking window, as well as looking close-in for award release patterns. I will most likely need to combine awards, so I find this research to be helpful. Basically identify flight numbers and routes, and actively monitor. … with the understanding that a lot can change between now and the July 2025 booking window opening.
2) Traveling with wife. Agree about the difficulty.

Thanks so much! Should have looked on the website and seen that they're only good for North America. I am now on the waiting list for SWU. Thanks for the heads up; I would have been disappointed it I saw empty lie-down seats and didn't get a complimentary upgrade

Is it possible? Yes, however AA doesn't appear to oversell to the point that BA does, and BA's non-Y cabins are also comparably larger than AA's. While I have never been operationally upgraded on an AA flight, I have been operationally upgraded a couple times on BA (booked with AA) flights.

Sure, op-ups are possible and do happen, but I don’t believe that is what pnak was asking about. Pretty sure s/he meant UDUs,

There never are, on AA they get filled by employee nonrevs if there is nobody using an SWU.

Yes, of course, but anything is possible - Just adding to the conversation that if you are 100% okay with flying in your ticketed cabin, it's better to book BA (IME) for Op-Ups over AA, but as always, YMWV.

I don't know what a UDU is, but I was referring to a complimentary upgrade. But while on the subject, does anybody know whether miles or SWUs for an upgrade would have priority? I called AA and asked and the person said "who knows?" I checked and am #1 on the SWU list, but would be willing to use miles if that has priority over SWUs.

No difference in priority between SWUs and mileage upgrades as far as I know. See https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/aadvanta...s-members.html.

UDU = “Unlimited Domestic Upgrades” i.e. complimentary upgrades.

BA marketed AA operated flight upgrade
 

Would that be possible to upgrade a AA operated and BA marketed flight with a SWU? Would it change the BA flight number to AA flight number for upgraded flights?