American AAdvantage is making some major changes to its complimentary upgrade program. Most people will probably consider this to be a positive development, though upgrades are ultimately a zero sum game.
Continue reading: American AAdvantage Adds Elite Upgrades On Award Tickets
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I was able to hit Platinum Pro relatively easy last year through one of the status matches and some lucrative AA Shopping Portal/Simply Miles Deals.
I have the SW CP and use that for my cash flights, and when I fly American it's almost always on miles, so on the surface, this seems beneficial, but wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of other shopping portal elites on the same flights.
It's hard to know the effect this will have without knowing the average number of elites flying on miles on each flight. But, on the whole, I think this is bad for anyone except EPs and the portion of the PPs that just barely missed EP. Everyone else is going to see more people in the upgrade queue ahead of them. Even squeaker PPs (like me!) who now have the possibility of upgrading award tickets are less likely to upgrade on either paid or award tickets because of the additional EPs and near-EPs with higher priority than them.
True, but the lower-level EPs will still have more higher Loyalty Point EPs ahead of them.
The key I’ve found is to set up a secondary profile in your BA Friends and Family account that is yourself but without a BA Exec Club number attached. Book with that profile and there’ll be no FF# on the reservation. Then just use the AA record locator and go in and add your AAdvantage number. My other elite benefits have been applied. If you book with the BA# attached you can get AA to change it but it took my wife 3 customer service agents to figure out how to do it recently…
This makes sense. Alaska elites have been eligible for complimentary upgrades on award tickets on AA metal for some time now. Doesn't really make sense to give perks to a partner's elites that you don't give to your own.
This is a net positive. While I might very well be wrong, just can’t imagine there are a substantial number of elites redeeming miles on the average domestic flight. If anything this is probably just a handful of additional folks on the upgrade list. Furthermore, as a middle of the line PP, I’ve always found it absurd that I am rewarded for my loyalty when I pay but if I choose to burn miles I’m not. AA still has its problems but good to see positive changes.
Also, who cares if airlines copy each other if it’s a positive development.
Two things. The real key would be how these upgrades are prioritized, which we don’t know at this moment. Are these award upgrades going to be prioritized after upgrades on paid tickets?
Secondly, domestic award itineraries cost boatloads of points. Savvy AAdvantage users are gonna know that their best value redemptions are with other Oneworld airlines elsewhere in the world.
Assuming it's the normal definition of NA then award tickets to Hawaii and Carribean would count also. Those are my 2 'domestic' award uses most of the time.