matt85

I'm about to book a family trip on AA. My preference is to book my own flight on a paid ticket to earn EQM/EQD, but book the other travelers as award tickets. I'm aware that this cannot be on the same PNR, but I've done this in the past separately and it worked out by reserving adjacent seats, asking the agent to enter a note to keep family together etc.
However, on this specific flight it's pretty likely that I'd get upgraded (I'm EXP) and it's months out, and I assume these upgrades clear automatically at which point a manual "note" would not have any effect. My fear is that I'd get potentially get upgraded, my economy seat given up and reserved by somebody else before I can call AA to get downgraded... if that makes sense.
Is there any way how I can opt out of the auto-upgrade after booking?
The alternatives I can see are to book me on the same award ticket (= no earning) or everyone else on the same paid ticket (= $$$).

aztimm

Why not just let things go? If you get upgraded, give the upgraded seat to whoever ends up sitting in the seat you want. I can't imagine any coach passenger refusing to trade for a seat in F.

Antarius

Just call the EXP desk and have them unrequest the upgrade for you on this flight.

matt85

I didn't know that's in fact possible. In that case, that's exactly what I need.
It's probably correct that I could trade seat on board in case I'd get upgraded, but I just like to avoid having that hassle and risk. It's going to be my wife and small kids on the remaining seats in Y, and she would likely kill me if that trade didn't happen for any reason.

Thanks!

dave_261

Book your ticket. Then book theirs. Then call AA to 1) take you off the upgrade list and 2) seat everyone together.

FlyingEgghead

Unless that passenger is trying to stay near family just like matt85!

aztimm

One would suspect that if they were trying to stay near family that they would be near the family when purchasing tickets and reserving seats. An EXP upgrade can happen as much as 100 hours prior. I suspect that any families would purchase and select seats well before that.
It would be even less likely if matt85 selects the middle seat for himself, as those are usually the last to go.

danbrew

Or, do what you were thinking of doing originally, and then give the upgrade to your wife. They like that kind of stuff.

matt85

That has a nice touch but, though hard to believe, my wife would in fact prefer to stay with me and the kids in Y, instead of sitting alone in F...

danbrew

lol. i've been married 25 years and if we ever ended up in coach with an option to upgrade one of us? my wife would be up in 1st class talking to her next husband in about two seconds...