Apr 21, 2013, 7:01 pm
Last edit by: VFR
Airport Upgrade and Standby Order, Priority “PALL” List
Questions, Upgrade Anomalies, Issues, etc.
NOTE: Complimentary upgrades are now ordered based on (1) Status, (2) 12 month rolling Loyalty Points, (3) Time and date of upgrade request.Questions, Upgrade Anomalies, Issues, etc.
NOTE: As of 1 Jan 2017, your travel companion will "borrow" your PALL listing. Link.
Main PALL list codes. Passengers are ordered by code, then elite status, then other factors. Additional codes may be entered to designate other information, such as companions traveling together.
- OS# = Confirmed Economy passenger awaiting seat assignment.
- RF = Confirmed First Class passenger awaiting seat assignment.
- DSR# = Standby First Class passenger, confirmed in Economy. Usually used for involuntary downgrades of paid First passengers.
- VIP# = Passenger awaiting a SWU upgrade.
- MLG# = Passenger awaiting a mileage and copay upgrade. This may be the same priority as VIP, i.e. VIP1 = MLG1, VIP2 = MLG2, etc.
- UPG# = Confirmed Economy passenger awaiting a complimentary, or elite sticker upgrade. Within a status group, passengers are ordered by 12 month rolling loyalty points followed by time and date of upgrade request.
- RI# = Revenue involuntary standby passenger (bumped from another flight due to oversold condition or travel disruptions). Within a status group, passengers are ordered by check-in time.
- RV# = Revenue voluntary standby passenger. Within a status group, passengers are ordered by check-in time.
- RV = Non-status revenue passengers on voluntary standby, and certain staff travel.
- D% = Non-revenue standby passenger (AA employees, family, and friends), where % is an additional number code pertaining to the type of pass and not related to elite status. See the Staff Travel / Buddy Pass Thread.
- VOL = Volunteer for bump to a later flight. Passengers are ordered by time of volunteering (first come-first served).
- DG = Passenger with involuntary (or voluntary) downgrade in class-of-service.
- RL = "Flat Tire Rule" passenger missing a flight through no fault of their own or AA (L=Late, in this case). Note that in some circumstances, AA may offer a confirmed seat on a later flight instead.
- -T = Through passenger - Addition of this suffix gives priority over other passengers in the same status group, overriding normal time-based ranking. This suffix is supposed to be used for passengers connecting from another flight.
C/o sensei:
The following UPG priority levels are now in effect:
- UPG1/VIP1 Concierge Key
- UPG2/VIP2 Executive Platinum
- UPG3/VIP3 Platinum Pro
- UPG4/VIP4 Platinum
- UPG5/VIP5 Gold
- UPG/VIP No status
Revenue Standbys are cleared in the following order:
- RIT (involuntary, transit)
- RI (involuntary)
- RV (voluntary)
- RL (late)
All revenue standbys are cleared before any non-revenue standbys
Older posts have been archived to this thread.
Airport Upgrade and Standby Priority List (“PALL”) Order (master thread)
Sep 22, 2017, 8:49 pm
#241
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Sep 23, 2017, 6:23 pm
#243
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,986
Sep 24, 2017, 11:00 am
#244
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,904
For confirmed flight change, when one has purchased a business class ticket, the original premium cabin booking code must be open. That's why even though it was J1 they couldn't confirm me as it was I0 and I had bought an I fare.
There still seems to be multiple answers when you call into EXP if E and I have to be open or just I.
There still seems to be multiple answers when you call into EXP if E and I have to be open or just I.
Oct 6, 2017, 3:05 pm
#246
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 51
Question on upgrade list order
The other day my wife and I were doing a quick mileage run for her to hit Plt and me Exp. All our segments were under 500 miles which means auto requested upgrades. Two cleared and we were on the list for the other. I was 3 and she was 6. Shouldn't she have been right with me as 4 as we were on the same record? I didn't bother to ask the gate agent at the time because there was only one seat and number one on the list cleared. I was just curious why that would happen?
Oct 6, 2017, 4:43 pm
#247
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 462
The other day my wife and I were doing a quick mileage run for her to hit Plt and me Exp. All our segments were under 500 miles which means auto requested upgrades. Two cleared and we were on the list for the other. I was 3 and she was 6. Shouldn't she have been right with me as 4 as we were on the same record? I didn't bother to ask the gate agent at the time because there was only one seat and number one on the list cleared. I was just curious why that would happen?
I have also heard that if you remove the Aadvantage number from the lower status companion, they will automatically inherit your status and be listed 1, 2...
Oct 30, 2017, 4:14 pm
#248
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: United Premier Platinum
Posts: 638
What is the priority for upgrade when segment is part of a redeemed upgrade award?
I did miles + copay upgrade of a two segment itinerary: a transpac inbound to the US followed by a connecting domestic segment.
At the time of paying for the upgrade, only the transpac could clear, with me going on the waitlist for the domestic.
Just now I checked EF and found J availability (J1) for the flight. However, before I even got off hold on the phone with AA, I refreshed the page and the availability was gone.
This made me wonder, what is the prioritization for an upgrade when you have already "redeemed" the award in the case of a multi-segment miles+copay award? I am only PLT so I imagine there must be EXPs before me on the list, but on the other hand it would make sense the person who's already paid for the service would get it first.
Is there a cut-and-dried policy on this?
At the time of paying for the upgrade, only the transpac could clear, with me going on the waitlist for the domestic.
Just now I checked EF and found J availability (J1) for the flight. However, before I even got off hold on the phone with AA, I refreshed the page and the availability was gone.
This made me wonder, what is the prioritization for an upgrade when you have already "redeemed" the award in the case of a multi-segment miles+copay award? I am only PLT so I imagine there must be EXPs before me on the list, but on the other hand it would make sense the person who's already paid for the service would get it first.
Is there a cut-and-dried policy on this?
Oct 30, 2017, 4:58 pm
#249
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 989
I did miles + copay upgrade of a two segment itinerary: a transpac inbound to the US followed by a connecting domestic segment.
At the time of paying for the upgrade, only the transpac could clear, with me going on the waitlist for the domestic.
Just now I checked EF and found J availability (J1) for the flight. However, before I even got off hold on the phone with AA, I refreshed the page and the availability was gone.
This made me wonder, what is the prioritization for an upgrade when you have already "redeemed" the award in the case of a multi-segment miles+copay award? I am only PLT so I imagine there must be EXPs before me on the list, but on the other hand it would make sense the person who's already paid for the service would get it first.
Is there a cut-and-dried policy on this?
At the time of paying for the upgrade, only the transpac could clear, with me going on the waitlist for the domestic.
Just now I checked EF and found J availability (J1) for the flight. However, before I even got off hold on the phone with AA, I refreshed the page and the availability was gone.
This made me wonder, what is the prioritization for an upgrade when you have already "redeemed" the award in the case of a multi-segment miles+copay award? I am only PLT so I imagine there must be EXPs before me on the list, but on the other hand it would make sense the person who's already paid for the service would get it first.
Is there a cut-and-dried policy on this?
Oct 30, 2017, 5:55 pm
#250
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,263
executive plats using instruments are ahead of you. If you check AAs website or the AA upgrade page here on FT, it clearly explains that it is by method of upgrade and then status. For example, since you used miles and copay, you are ahead of an EXP seeking complimentary upgrade.
Oct 30, 2017, 9:51 pm
#251
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: United Premier Platinum
Posts: 638
So in other words, the fact that my upgrade is already "redeemed" does not change my prioritization? Is it the same as if I requested to be on the upgrade waitlist for this domestic segment by itself?
Oct 31, 2017, 12:58 am
#252
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,581
J is not the relevant booking class for an upgrade. J1 going to J0 means nothing; what matters is availability in C
Oct 31, 2017, 3:41 am
#253
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,263
You choose to accept a miles+coach copay on the short domestic segment, and waitlist for the 14-hour international segment. If the international segment opened up C-class down the road, it would be a bit unfair if you trumped someone with a higher upgrade priority simply because part of your trip was already upgraded.
Nov 2, 2017, 11:05 am
#254
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
Correct. Imagine the scenario in reverse. Say you're flying from IND-ORD-PEK.
You choose to accept a miles+coach copay on the short domestic segment, and waitlist for the 14-hour international segment. If the international segment opened up C-class down the road, it would be a bit unfair if you trumped someone with a higher upgrade priority simply because part of your trip was already upgraded.
You choose to accept a miles+coach copay on the short domestic segment, and waitlist for the 14-hour international segment. If the international segment opened up C-class down the road, it would be a bit unfair if you trumped someone with a higher upgrade priority simply because part of your trip was already upgraded.
I just had a similar scenario. SEA-DFW-FLL flight the other day. Only C space on SEA-DFW. Was long enough and early enough that I went for the miles+copay upgrade. It was J2 since I got the miles+copay upgrade. C space never opened so I got thrown to airport control where, as I expected being a Plat Pro, I was #7 .
Nov 7, 2017, 4:46 pm
#255
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 107
I had a really interesting experience last week (twice). My understanding is that to be on the upgrade list you have to have a confirmed seat on the flight (not standby).
I was listed for same-day-standby on a later flight than the one I was confirmed on, and I got an email saying my upgrade was confirmed for that flight, and assigned me a seat in first. I'm plat pro so upgrades are auto-requested, but I was surprised that this served as way to get a confirmed seat without paying the $75 fee.
Later on in the week I requested to list for standby online for an earlier flight than my original, and almost immediately I got an email saying my upgrade was confirmed. Given that this process assigns an actual seat number in these emails, it's essentially confirming you for the flight and taking you off standby. Kind of a loophole? I didn't realize this was possible. Nice!
I was listed for same-day-standby on a later flight than the one I was confirmed on, and I got an email saying my upgrade was confirmed for that flight, and assigned me a seat in first. I'm plat pro so upgrades are auto-requested, but I was surprised that this served as way to get a confirmed seat without paying the $75 fee.
Later on in the week I requested to list for standby online for an earlier flight than my original, and almost immediately I got an email saying my upgrade was confirmed. Given that this process assigns an actual seat number in these emails, it's essentially confirming you for the flight and taking you off standby. Kind of a loophole? I didn't realize this was possible. Nice!