American Airlines App Upgrade & Standby List Explained

*12 hours

@ Rukes -- So I know it was 12 hours for some amount of time, but are you still seeing that? Right now I'm only seeing it within eight hours of departure. Curious if that's not what you're seeing?

@Ben just booked a PHX-SFO that takes off in 11 hours. Upgrade and standby list are showing.

@ Sel, D. -- Interesting, thanks! So it looks to me like it's maybe eight hours in advance through the flight status tab, while it's 12 hours in advance when you're booked on the flight? Does that sound right?

The sample image of an Upgrade list is actually a Standby list (the same image used further down).

@Ben wow spot on. Looking at the flight status tab for the same flight - no lists available.

@ Sel, D -- Perfect, we figured it out then. I'll update the post now to reflect that, thanks. I thought it was 12 hours, but then as I sat down to write this post I could only see anything eight hours out, so...

Does aa app have a way to save profiles? It’s annoying that you have to keep entering the same data for family members.

Another thing to mention Ben is that if you are in premium cabin and you are standing by, they will not clear you into the premium cabin unless there are seats left after upgrades. I always find that to be a painful point as Delta lets you SDC into premium cabin asnlinf as there is space available.

They paged me on my upgrade from LAX HND this week. It was a mileage co pay upgrade. The gate agent told me it would be 25,000 miles and a $350 co pay. They then asked for payment and swiped my credit card for $350 right then and there.

One thing to note if you're using a mobile boarding pass and you're upgraded before boarding commences your mobile may or may not update. If there are open seats and you're at the top of the list it's best to be at the gate around T-45. What you don't want is a GA calling your name, your not there to respond and they give the upgrade to the next person on the list.

Is there till such a thing of getting an upgrade 100 hours in advance for EXP or is that a thing of the past with them trying to sell First class seats?

I find the upgrade program a joke in the way it is handled. For starters most the tim on the app it does not come up with list until about 4 hours prior to the flight. They also DO NOT automatically upgrade at 40 minutes prior to the flight, they usually at the gate between 5 - 10 minutes before boarding they will hand out the upgrades.

I cannot tell you how many times that I have gone from 1 or 2 an hour before the flight or even within the last hour drop to 4, 5 or 6. In fact I got off one flight at CLT the next flight was the next gate I was 1 and the flight was boarding in 30 minutes I came back and I was down to #4.

What they should do is lock the upgrade list a minimum 2 hours prior to the flight. In the old days with America West the upgrade list was locked 4 hours prior to flight.

I have been going back to America West a Chairman and through the US Air and American take overs and have been Executive Platinum since the change over. I don't expect to get upgraded even when I am listed in the top 1 or 2 as I just assume by the time the flight boards I am going to dropped. Example this past week about 1 1/2 hours prior to flight I was #2 on the list with two open seats, I checked about 1/2 hour from boarding I checked and I was moved to #4.

Recently had return flight from Athens to JFK. Paid for business to Athens and premium economy back to JFK. Requested mileage upgrade on return flight when paid for flight months ago. About three weeks before return flight I changed return flight to one day earlier and again requested mileage upgrade. AMR website indicated upgrade request for Both original flight and “new” flight. When I got to gate on day of flight and asked status of upgrade I was not on upgrade list. Since I have executive platinum status I immediately called help # and explained situation. I was told they were able to add my name to upgrade list. I again went to gate and asked about upgrade status after again briefly explaining situation. Gate agent could not be bothered to help in any way.
I called AMR customer service when I returned home. They were able to check system and somehow verify that based on status I should have received the one upgrade business seat that was available. I received an apology and $150 future credit for me and wife. I have bad back and sure could have used larger, lay down seat.
Was AMR future credit offer fair and reasonable???

I find this so annoying.... Especially since on paid business class I need to tier points for my connecting American flights, so getting bumped down to Y and losing the tier points is a double slap in the face.

Speaking of AA upgrades, does anyone know how to remove yourself from the upgrade list? AA automatically requests complimentary upgrades for elites, and the upgrade can clear a few days before the flight depending on status. Normally that’s great.

But if for example I’m traveling with my family of four in economy plus, I wouldn’t want the upgrade to clear. And if I wait until checkin to decline the upgrade, someone else probably will have already claimed the economy plus seat I had reserved.

I haven’t found a way to decline the upgrade on the app or website. Is the only option to call customer service?

QQ @ Ben: If you are ticketed in economy, can you use 2 SWU to directly clear into F?

Lots of times on 777-300ER, I see no seats available in J (or a very long list with 1-2 seats), but 6 available seats in F with 0 people on the wait list.

Does your first SWU have to clear in J to then clear again in F, or can you go from economy to F directly and use both SWUs at the same time. TY!

Delta is not consistent about this. My partner was on a PAID F ticket, standing by for an earlier flight and they cleared upgrades before giving her a seat and kept telling her that they needed to accommodate "paying" passengers first, which was beyond mystifying. She just wanted to get home after 20 hours of travel from the middle east, so took the economy seat they gave her.

Meanwhile, recently, I experienced someone clearing from standby into the last remaining seat when I was on #1 on the upgrade list.

It would be nice if DL were consistent.

be aware that if you are automatically upgraded and you’ve already checked in you must check in again.

It happened to me once! I got my second segment upgraded but when I started boarding, all the sudden, I found the boarding pass in my app disappeared. I went to the gate agency and was told I was not checked in and she was about to drop my name and give my seat to other passengers. I said it is impossible that I did not check in because this is the second segment of my flight, how I can finish my first segment without check in. I think there must be some tech issue there.

Since moving to a AA hub city from a UA hub city this has been my biggest peeve with AA. AA’s App is woefully behind UA’s App for upgrade list. When you check in on UA you immediately shown the upgrade list and your position on that list. Why did AA EVER think keeping this information “classified” until hours before the flight is beyond comprehension. Additionally, it is multiple clicks/swipes to get to the list versus UA’s App it located within the boarding pass. Do better AA!

I know this is slightly odd topic, but one of the things that is lacking on the AA app is the inability to easily see how many first class seats are available a day or more before the flight. You can only see the availability for cabin you are booked in. If you want to see your chances of upgrading on a flight, you need to go through the motions of booking a new one way ticket on that flight and click on the "seats" link to see how many FC seats are open, if any. Terribly time consuming for something that should be easy...

I have done this many times on AA and Delta. I have always just called and they can remove the upgrade option easily. I have also been able to reverse it at the gate if the circumstance makes it ok to ditch my daughter and her friends who are all sitting together and don't want me around anyhow 🙂

Do you know if the standby list has any further prioritization within revenue passengers? I was on standby for a flight the other day as an EP, and when talking with other folks on the list who were before me, they didn't have any status. However, I think they may have missed an earlier connection due to a flight delay or something like that. Would AA automatically prioritize situations like that?

UA actually shows the list 2-3 days out as long as Flight Status shows the flight. You don't even have to be checked in, which makes the list a lot more transparent and reliable.

Yet another reason UA’s App is so much better than AA’s.

How about when you see employees on standby and they get upgraded to business when there is a long list of revenue pax on the upgrade list. Also, flight crew sitting in business while deadheading bit there are seats in the back. Comments are welcome.

Guessing it could be due to the fare class paid?

What about when the app says first class has 4 open seats and I am #1 on the upgrade list. I take assigned seat at 10F with an AA employee sitting in first class and then the first class flight attendant gives the guy in front me a nod a wave to move up to first class. OH and I am sitting on the runway at 50 minutes past the departure time and not one explanation has been provided. AND this was my alternate flight I had to take
because my incoming flight was delayed and caused me to miss my original connection! AA has fallen to the bottom of the barrel. I am ready to make the switch to Delta!