This is normal as most people will gladly use the SWU even if the domestic segment doesn't yet have SWU availability. The system will confirm the domestic upgrade if it's available. Otherwise, it will wait list you.

If the DFW-NRT segment doesn't clear, then you've wasted an SWU on a short domestic. That's the harm.

And it makes sense to me. Pretty sure that for a long time every mile earned including credit card, car rental etc counted towards MM on AA. I am pretty sure that UA never did that, strictly BIS miles. AA is the same now but was way easier in the past.

Ahhhh that makes sense. Mine expire in a few weeks so nothing ventured/gained I guess.

Uh, let's see. I live near a giant AA hub. Just in the last couple of months I have bought domestic F on both UA and F9. Let that sink in, AA. Your domestic F product and your entire flying experience is such that people who live in Dallas will gladly pay for an empty middle seat on Frontier rather than fly your crapshow of an airline.

An "8 million miler" here and retired now. Been in the program since they started it so most of miles were BIS with AA and OW ticketed flights along with CC spend since my first AA/Citi card was issued in 1987. It would be nice to be EP again if all of that counts but my concern is that there will be a heck of lot more EPs competing for upgrades of the various types but the other benefits will be nice in any event. Fingers crossed.

Was there a reply to this question? I have read and re-read the language regarding how long the SWU's will now be good for, and I can't figure out the answer.

I, too, am awaiting a reply to this!

If you book via AAdvantage eShopping then yes. I do this all the time -- I get the AA miles/LPs based on spend and earn rate through the portal at the time I book, and then I earn my usual Bonvoy points and benefits from the stay.

If you book via AA Hotels, then you only get the AA miles/LPs and no Bonvoy benefits. But this way you will typically get a lot more AA miles/LPs than via the shopping portal.

For example, you may book a 2-night stay for $300/night. If you do it via the shopping portal, that would translate to at least 600 AA miles/LPs (sometimes 2x or 3x that, as the earn rate changes), plus whatever you would normally earn from Marriott for your Bonvoy points. But if you book the same room via AA Hotels, you may get anywhere between 3k-10k AA miles/LPs (the earn rate varies dramatically by date and place), and you will get no Bonvoy points or benefits.

So you have to decide whether you want to double-dip or if you want more AA miles/points.

I use both methods to supplement my AA miles and LPs, depending on what I need more at the time.

Thank you for the explanation. It is an education. I will indeed have to figure out my plan of attack. I do not envisage my business and personal travel affording me the opportunity to go beyond gold tier at AA which is perfectly fine with me. But with the elite credit nights from the Bonvoy program, plus if it provides the double nights promo again, I should be able to reach platinum tier with Bonvoy again relatively easily.

Caveat, if you use any corporate codes, the points earned via AA Shopping portal are nullified. I only tend to use this when the corporates do not provide any discount

Post #57 above hopefully helps.

Yes but it doesn't appear that you get BIS miles for Lifetime to me. It appears you get a lot less?

You may on non AA coded flights, they post MM as base miles (which is based on flight distance)

I am at 5 mm but i am going to guess that less than 2 mm are flown miles. Back when flight mileage dictated status I was EXP for 11-12 years but I usually landed the plane at ~100k as i was also chasing BA status at the time. And 10 years of GLD/PLT before that. I did a lot of traveling before the change in how miles are earned when the status bonuses counted toward LT miles, have been charging >$25k annually on AA credit cards forever, and took advantage of a few arbitrage opportunities including laundering Amex MR points into AA miles when AA merged with TWA and a couple of big Diner's Club promos.

My quandary now is do I keep the Citi Exec card, as I will be EXP for life (presumably, unless there is something to be read into the "fly 5 mm" language) and the 20k LP bonus opportunity on the card- which has helped me get to EXP the last few years- will be meaningless. When I travel alone for work either I dont need the AC, or if I do can expense a day pass, or internationally I get it through status. So it boils down to a handful of family trips.

Certainly a first world dilemma .