flyalways

Hi there,

I had requested for a SWU upgrade for domestic LAX-BOS flight. It cleared at
the gate yesterday. How do I know if the upgrade was cleared as a FREE EXP
upgrade or SWU was used ? Is there any way to know or just have to wait to
see the SWU balance ?

Update: I found my BP and it says "R" so I am assuming SWU was not used !

Thanks in advance...

DoctorORD

Would not assume, since airport-cleared SWU's have certificates deducted manually, sometimes well after the flight. Call and find out. EXP agent should be able to pull up PALL list for flight and see whether you were cleared as VIP2 (SWU) or UPG2 (free).

flyalways

Ok. Isn't fare code R on the BP enough to know this ? Just curious...

johnbrooklyn

I purchased a Biz fare and then upgraded to First using SWU on the transcon from JFK-SFO. Is it possible to standby for an earlier flight and if so am I standing by for my original Biz fare availability or SWU upgrade in First?

YtravelF

If you've already cleared into F, you'll standby for F. And you'll clear before anyone looking to upgrade.
I would make sure you say hello to the gate agents before boarding so that they're aware they need to save you a seat. I only mention that because I've seen them go through the upgrade list and forget about standbys in F since most RV standby pax are in Y or J.

sombrachinesca

I had an agent at the DFW Admirals Club insist to me this morning that my no-status companion would not take my status on the upgrade list (waitlisted to apply an SWU).

Sure enough, one seat opened this afternoon and she was bypassed.

johnbrooklyn

That's disappointing. Same happened to me, I was flying with my sister to Hawaii via LAX out of JFK. I was using SWU for the both of us. For some inexplicable reason my sister had my EXP status from JFK-LAX, and we both upgraded at the gate. But, the second leg from LAX-LIH my sister was in group 3. I talked to the GA in LAX, made sure they knew I was flying with a companion, but although I was number 2 on the list and there were 3 seats that were upgraded they would not process me and my sister. I wrote to customer service and received a personal call within a few hours (a first in almost 20 years flying AA, mostly as an EXP flyer). They had researched what happened at LAX and said they dropped the ball, that new rules do allow me and one companion to fly with my status and that a review of the upgrade list confirmed what I had written about. They gave me a chunk of customer service miles, apologized, and promised to do better. So, yes, you are supposed to be able to travel with one companion and that companion shares your elite status.

serfty

Hopefully the "GA in LAX" received a re-education as well.

This shows that CS should be contacted (pleasantly) whenever there is such a perceived failure in processing.

JonNYC

Depending on what they meant by that, conflicts with their public statement on the matter. Although, really, such a mishmash, I probably can't even make that statement confidently.

bcm0830

I feel like I remember one of the new benefits for EXP this year was going to be complimentary upgrades for EXP on economy award tickets. Does anyone else remember that? I haven't seen any information on such a benefit recently.

JonNYC

It's been announced, effective later this year

tbone14

I am EXP. I am currently on Flt 637 departing LAS to PHX at 7:35PM tonight. Yesterday evening, I called the EXP desk and requested to use miles and copay to get a FC seat on Flt 1340. I was unable to do so, and the agent said that I would be put on the waitlist. I was told that the only way I would not get on the flight is if someone paid the full fare for the ticket.

This morning, I arrive at the airport. They tell me that I am #1 on the standby list. The waitlist list did not clear. I again called the EXP desk asking for clarification on how things work. I was told that at T-24 or less, the waitlist is handled by the airport agents.

Now, here is where there was mass confusion. Flt 1340 was oversold. In the middle of boarding (and not at the beginning), an announcement was made asking for volunteers and offering vouchers. One person took this offer. Meanwhile, the agents boarded 5 people from the "BX" list. What is the BX list? And then, on my app, there was a standby customer who was cleared. I was #1, and he was #9! After the flight left, the 3 gate agents could not figure out what happened. They were trying to "find the missing passenger", or there was possibly an empty seat?!?

So, my questions are, what is the BX list? Is it possible the flight left with an empty seat? And why would the standby list show a passenger cleared, that was farther down below me, when I should have had priority? There were talking about clearing PRS also? What is that?

Any information is appreciated, as the gate agents were curt (and clueless, imo).

(I also posted this is the Standby thread. I am not sure which one is most appropriate).

Now it happened again. I am #3 on the standby list, but passenger #12 and #14 have been cleared already! What is the point of the standby list on the AA app if it is not accurate?

YtravelF

The Standby list is NOT the same as the Upgrade list. Totally different purposes.
If the flight was full/oversold, the people cleared from Standby were jump seat qualified, meaning they didn't get real seats on the plane, but are sharing the jump seats with FAs.

I don't know why they couldn't or didn't explain this to you at the airport.
No one stole your upgrade, there were no F seats available to begin with.

tbone14

Sorry, I was not clear in my initial post. I had originally tried to get a confirmed seat (in FC). Once this was no longer possible, I was just trying to make any flight and go standby.

Is that the only way someone lower on the standby list is cleared then? If they are crew members who use a jumpseat?

JonNYC

Both standbys who cleared were crew who took jumpseats.
No revenue standbys cleared at all. And no employees who weren't jumpseat-qualified cleared