I took two flights on American Airlines yesterday, and they basically summed up my experience of getting upgraded on the airline, in a nutshell.
Continue reading: American Executive Platinum Upgrades: A Reality Check
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Seems like British Airways Gold would be good as the Flagship Lounge is guaranteed whenever you fly Oneworld.
I am Exec Platinum and pretty much have the exact same experience. CLT is my closest hub and i am pretty sure you know all the fun stories about that airport and the chaos that is that airport moat if the time although i do clear upgrades maybe 50% of the time. I am going for the One World Emerald status as well
I'm in same boat, lower level Exec Plat, not much upgrade success. Also thinking along your lines--Exec Plat doesn't have much benefit without the upgrades. I can get more value in other ways (i.e., not through my AA flying/card usage) and ditch the status treadmill. If the golden goose for AA is credit card miles, what happens? I keep thinking the model will break, but people keep racking up near worthless miles and near worthless status.
Another factor - right now AA seems to be randomly choosing people (me) for complimentary Platinum Pro for 4 months - and all I need to do to keep it for another 4 months is to earn 13K loyalty points within the first 4 months. I'm the last one that deserves this, as almost all of my AA travel is awards using AS miles for 4,500 and 7,500 nonstop redemptions out of DFW.
I am AAdvantage Gold, so there was never much hope for me anyway. The credit card spending seems to be the culprit. I don’t travel enough for business to consistently get Platinum at this point. I may get 2 or 3 upgrades a year on empty, shortl flights and I just pay when the price is attractive enough.
Theyve now conditioned their most loyal customers to pay for something they used to get for free. SMH and the suckers have fallen for it and continue to chase status. AIRLINES WIN.
I earned PP last year and did get the occasional upgrade, but found the AA operation to be so unreliable (30-50% of the time I flew or relatives flew there was a lengthy or cancellation) that I have to dump them despite getting value from their status (at least through mce seats for myself and family). But my assumption is that first class upgrades are a thing of the past and aren't to be expected anymore.
I feel there is some "hanky panky" going on at AA with regard to upgrades. I'm an EP with 256,000 Loyalty Points to date. I fly a mix of domestic and international. Since JAN 2024, I am at 70% for upgrades. But there have been a handful of times where I do not clear ahead of the flight date, and work colleagues on the same flight, with the same status but lower LP point balances, do clear. This happened in my favor last OCT, when a co-worker with double the LP and same EP status as me didn't get the upgrade and I did. I reached out to AA customer service to ask why, and I got the most condescending, rote reply. I pushed further, and they eventually said "we are not at liberty to discuss other member's accounts". Are they playing favoritism behind the scenes? Is there a glitch in their IT related to upgrades? (We all know how crappy their IT is!)
I mostly now buy first outright or pay for an upgrade on AA. I'll play the upgrade lottery if I'm in a PE seat sold as coach or row 11 on the 321ceo. If was relying on upgrades out of MIA I might be 25%. More out of some other hubs. The game has changed.
I’ve been an EXP member for about five years now, but have given up on the program. I still fly AA, but I credit everything to BA where I am a gold member. BA Gold gets me into Admirals Clubs without paying for a membership, I can use Flagship First check-in desks at MIA, JFK, and other airports which saves a lot of time versus waiting in line in the normal “priority” check-in lanes. Plus I get access to the Flagship Lounge and I can still reserve MCE seats. The only thing I don’t get is AA miles which have become increasingly useless, and free upgrades but those are very few and far between these days anyway so it’s no big loss to me. AA may be winning on further monetizing the program, but it has done nothing but swell the number of elite members to the point where no one is “special” anymore. And like they say, “When everyone is special, then no one is special.” So, let the credit card spenders earn status that is becoming less and less rewarding. I’ll take the better soft treatment I get as a BA Gold member over what AA now offers any day.
Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat..................... Lucky - you mention that you've been EP for 15 years now. For 15 years, it's the same story over and over again, year after year - "I'm thinking about not throwing my loyalty to AA and maybe going free agent, yada, yada...." For 15 years now, you ALWAYS qualify for EP with AA. This annual story is getting OLD!!! Can't you come up with some new material?? Fast forward to March 2025. Guess what readers, I decided to once again throw my money to AA and I'm EP once again, at least for 1 more year................. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat,...................I live in an AA hub city and am hostage, yada, yada.........Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.....................
I’ve been an AA loyalist for much of my life and an EXP for 15+ years…but since they’ve moved to Loyalty Points and given away status to a lot of their partners, I also feel upgrades are harder to get as well as applying SWU. This to me was the main differentiator for AA status in OneWorld. Now I’ve decided to shift to BA to get lounge status on domestic flights and then AS because of the additional perks it offers with top tier (better free economy snacks/meals, additional bonus points crossing 75k, and earnings based on miles instead of revenue etc.). So far this new strategy has been better for me than sticking with AA.
Please break down for us how you achieved EXP for this current year i.e. loyalty points from flights from CC spend.
I think you need to keep a rolling 12 month total of at least 350-400k Loyalty points in order to get EP upgrades on a consistant basis. I've been around that level for the last two years and my upgrades clear a very high percentage of the time on domestic flights, even when booked in an economy award flight. The key to racking up big loyalty points (and RDM) is not general AA credit card spending but having the AA Citi exec card and making use of AAadvantageeshopping.com and AAdvantagehotels.com on a regular basis.
I see 70% or more of my upgrades clear at EXP for short segments (BOS to DCA, LA to SFO, etc) and about 40% for Charlotte flights, but nothing ever clears into or out of DFW or MIA. With both of those cities a large number of the domestic F passengers are going onward to or are connecting back from an international business class flight, andthere are a ton of CK members who pre-cleared.
The main benefit of EXP is better treatment during AA's not infrequent east coast weather meltdowns.
DL not AA here, but related it’ll be interesting to see how things compare for Delta this next spring when many people may ‘reset’ to a lower status after the MQD changes take full effect
I predict in 5 years AA will have to make some major changes as everyone catches up to what the loyal business travelers already figured out. As Ben points out, the new Loyalty Points system is fantastic for AA.... now. It's short term gains for AA until everyone realizes there's no point in having status in the current environment and stops spending their way to the top.
The BA Gold idea sounds like a good AA domestic solution (MCE, Admirals/Flagship). Credit BA (and other OW) flights to Alaska then use those miles for AA domestic first in combo with some cash upgrades. Bask Bank "invest?" for those great AA mid-east/Asia and Web Special redemptions. Need to play with the math.
Agreed, just admit you live in Miami and you are held captive by AA due to schedule and convenience.
End of story.
Agree Ben. I end up with about 400k LP’s each year and tend to be #5 or 6 on the upgrade list. I tend to book my flights a week out, which helps, as I can see how many biz class seats are open (I’ll take an earlier or later flight if I think my upgrade chances are better). Main thing I value with EXP is the SWU’s. While tough to get confirmed space, I’ve had good luck with expert flyer scoring upgrades for my family.
Nailed it. Ben's histrionics over whether to qualify every year is an eye roller. "I can't quit you, American Airlines".
It’s all geography. Fly hub to hub and you’re never gonna clear. I’ve had CKs sitting next to me in Y ex-DFW on multiple occasions. Transcon and between major east coast cities is similar but maybe an upgrade if you’re flying very early morning.
Mid-day flights ex-DFW or ORD to just about anywhere non-hub in the Midwest or to the West Coast, I’ve had good upgrade success.
But overall, my philosophy is don’t play their games, just pay the cash fare to sit up front. “Buy expensive, cry once. Buy cheap, cry often.”
I've been 20+ on ATL deparing flights as a Delta Diamond with 100 people on the upgrdlade list. So AA is probably not the worst... Although since I'm based at Chicago I get cleared for first most of the time.
I've given up on working towards achieving any AA status give its lack of value. BA gold has been the best for all the reason's already cited in the emerald program. I will purchase AA first class when its the only carrier routing the best way, but their first products is not a lot of value other then a larger seat and 2 free cocktails domestically. No food on flights and no lounge access on all by 3-4 domestic flight destinations. This is an inconvenience when flying connections with a long layover as is typical. I've been able to get over the grumpy old union lady FA's a while ago, but why do I easily get served a decent meal and a few drinks on short flights throughout Europe in business class and not on AA.
Longtime EP and DL Plat…this is the year I go for DL Diamond. Gaps in DL/SkyTeam’s global network mitigated by maintaining OW Emerald (like others have mentioned). For a transcon or longer int’l flight I’ll pay for F/J, but for the most part, AA’s domestic F product isn’t worth the buy up.
I'm now PP because I learned this last year. I couldn't use all of my SWUs which really pissed me off. Going to stick to the emerald hunt from now on. I live in Finland so one world status is a must
I used to be EXP for a while in the 2000s up to 2018. Also made lifetime Platinum. I had problems being able to use up my SWUs. Ended up using them for a domestic flight as they would have just expired.
AA miles have turned useless. The legs I can buy on miles are usually not optimal and I would spend longer travelling than an itinerary I can purchase with USD. The only thing AA miles have helped is booking hotels we actually got some pretty decent deals and get to stay at non-Hilton branded hotels for a change. The only reason we have an AA credit card is for lounge access and my wife gets lounge access if we're not traveling together. It came in handy when she had a lot of travel to England to see her father in the last couple of years of his life.
The only loyalty brand that has any value for me is Hilton and the Aspire card. Even though I'm lifetime Diamond it gives my wife Diamond status too when we are not traveling together. We spend enough we typically get 4 free reward nights which work at the resorts too. So we've stayed in some pretty nice places we probably would not have considered otherwise because of the price ($800/night kind of rooms).
I fly about 25 segments a year between PHL and either FLL or PBI
Upgrades to or from PBI are virtually nonexistent. I am about 1 in 4 to FLL.
I do get offers to buy the upgrade at very widely varying prices. On a flight to PBI in October the upgrade price dropped from 1029 to 152 in a matter of days. Generally I will bite at 250 or less.
I am low grade EXP. The main reason for maintaining EXP is the separate line during IRROPS which is important to me as I fly a lot for business during the bad weather months.
I've been an EP like you, forever. I'm in Chicago and regularly get the upgrades. Exceptions would be ORD-LGA where I can be 25th with no seats. ORD-MIA, and DFW-HKG are similar. I also get upgrades more on the 170,175 aircraft going to smaller airports.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments and valuation.
Thanks
It's not your current loyalty point count that matters... It's a rolling 12 months, which includes some LPs earned during the previous qualifying year. There is no public display that shows that, so it's much harder to say exactly how many either you or your colleague had at the time.
I'm probably a mid-range EXP. I'd guess that my rolling LP total is about ~500K right now. I ended last year a little over 400K and I'm at 400K so far this year. I started the year with a ridiculously expensive trip to AUS and so my rolling LPs got up to 680K early this year. My LPs are almost entirely from flying, so my butt is in the seat a lot. With that context, I think I've missed a couple upgrades this year... maybe. I'm mostly upgraded 4 days out, but occasionally closer to departure and once (on one of those 8 seat F cabins DFW to DCA) I was already on the plane and someone no-showed.
I just wrote about AA, but I'm also DL Diamond. Just... don't ask why. I'm a MM and I've noticed a HUGE difference this year. I'm clearing 4 days out most of the time. But if I don't clear four days out, I'll usually clear day of departure. On the rare cases it gets to the gate I'm always 1 or 2. I've also found it easier to confirm the confirmable upgrades this year. So, don't know if people bailed early or if the order change to elevate MMers made the difference. And I'm usually flying to or from ATL too. Last year I almost never got upgraded. Big difference.
I may be losing my mind, but I swear back in the day complimentary upgrades were available to more than just one person on your reservation. I thought your whole party could get upgraded (up to something crazy like 8 people). But maybe that was pre-merger US Airways Chairman’s preferred and I'm not remembering correctly.
We are a family of five, my wife has the Aviator Red card and I have the Silver, so we always take one trip a year using the companion passes. She has one kid on her reservation (since the red card comes with one pass) and I have two kids on mine (since silver comes with two), but I don’t even show up on the upgrade list despite being ExP.
I’ve been Platinum for about long as there’s been a Platinum status. It really meant something as a premium status. Usually a good shot at an upgrade. Since then I’ve earned Platinum for life due to several millions of miles. Now my Platinum status never scores an upgrade. At best number 12 on the list. It’s a joke. They need to be honest and withdraw this as a realistic perk. Using miles has also become extremely difficult to use. It’s apparent that they don’t really value my patronage to them and I’ll buy airfares accordingly
I have noticed this as well. The opposite has happened with DL when they reordered the upgrade hierarchy and put the reserve card as a major tie-breaker. It's now much more valuable to be diamond than it used to be.
I have been ep for 20+ and CK for four before they raised the requirement to $50k. Ben nailed it 100% including my present day feeling.
Living in DFW have very little choice but to fly AA or else I am gone.
In and out of LAX, it's about 1 upgrade in 10 flights. Likely because people are just buying first or continuing on a long-haul premium ticket. Recently got upgraded ORD-LAX which was a shock! I never expect it anymore except on short haul non-hub flights on American Eagle.
I find I'm upgraded about 80% of the time Sep-Apr, and maybe 30% May-Aug. What you haven't mentioned are the system wide upgrade certificates that can be earned. I currently have 6 and was able to use the first one in over a year and a half on a Madrid - Philly segment last week. Otherwise, upgrade not available, will put you on the list for upgrade and no movement of the list, it seems if a seat or 2 are available they sell a couple days before the flight.
Yup. Have rarely gotten an upgrade as exec platinum this year. Been an exec plat for the past 7 years. Does not help that I am based in dallas. The last time, I was first on the list in July, both the seats have been taken by deadheading pilots. Though, I qualified for exec play for next year, I am done.
The past year or two, I also have been British Gold and they actually surprised me with n upgrade to biz class from LHR to DFW. Totally unexpected.
With CC spending and deadheading pilots taking up any available first class seats, not worth it for me to be exec platinum anymore, British gold gets me free access to the admirals club and flagship lounges. Will be focusing on that
The thing that bothers me about deadheading pilots...they are getting paid and still subject to duty hours. So why do they need a FC seat...can't they rest in a economy seat? Or are the airlines saying that those seats really aren't comfortable...
Delta taking out the fare class for upgrade consideration sucks. I often have to book less than a week in advance, so it's B and Y fare class left. Those are usually more than a C+ seat, but now buying C+ is higher than Y
I really thought Ben would give up AA elite status at this moment and just continue maintaining Gold with BA.
By the way, one can look at it another way. It is like being in a bad relationship. You say you will walk away but you can’t because of all of the history that was there. It won’t be easy for him to just quit his love for AA and that is the reality check he needs. He needs to know when to give it up and move on.
I've been pretty consistently around ~250K rolling LPs and have definitely noticed a downward trend in my upgrade success.
In 2022, I cleared 21 of 32 segments (66%) and was usually towards the top of the list when I didn't clear.
In 2023, I cleared 14 of 28 segments (50%) and was noticeably a bit lower on the list when I didn't clear. 10 of those missed upgrades happened in the second half of the year.
In 2024, I've cleared 1 of 14 segments (7%) and have been even further down the list when I didn't clear. The only upgrade I managed was from a same-day flight change from an 8am to 7am flight because I had no shot for an upgrade on my original flight.
I'm DFW-based and mostly fly business routes, so that makes it especially difficult. Though at least I'm not flying on the peak Monday/Thursday times!
My experience exactly mirrors the author's. I've been an EP for over 20 years, flying weekly on primarily domestic travel.
Prior to the recent changes in the program, and the surge in leisure travel, not clearing an upgrade was the unusual experience. I was generally 1st or 2nd on the list, even though i am based in Dallas and all my travel originates there. I would almost always clear the bulk of my upgrades before the flight, and if not then, usually at the gate.
Beginning in January of this year, my upgrade list positions dropped consistently to 8th or lower. I can only think of one or two flights this year where I was somehow 1st or 2nd on the list (and even then, I didn't clear an upgrade).
Bottom line for me: This is just another example of the new philosophy at AA. There is no longer much interest in rewarding the customers who previously would have been considered the "loyal" customers - that is, the customers who actually fly the AA metal, week after week after week.
My experience is that it's not geography. I'm based in Dallas, so all my travel at least originated in the main hub. I fly hub to hub consistently (DFW-LGA, DFW-ORD, DFW-PHL) and for all these years, I've consistently cleared upgrades on those flights. Since January of this year, almost no upgrades.
I have had the same experience. I’ve been executive platinum for 8 years. I just pay for my own upgrades. But I won’t have enough loyalty points to stay at the same level. I’ll be down to 125,000 now. Oh well.
I think MIA is EP heavy due to geography in the US and S America flying. Isn’t Group 1 chaos for flights to/from MIA even a meme?
As a measly gold member, I never get anything. When it was US Air, I would get upgraded all the time as a Silver member. I recently used points for a flight from DCA to Cleveland and they offered me a first class upgrade for both legs at $120 total. I jumped on it and I understand why the Elite members are frustrated. No matter how loyal you are and I love AA, they like any other business are trying to maximize profits. It sucks and I am not invested in them but as a shareholder in many other companies, I understand what they are doing. I just say take advantage of the low cost upgrades and keep maximizing your points.
The 4 segment requirement can be met through flights on BA or IB metal, as well as those booked under a BA codeshare. So you don't ever need to step foot on BA metal.
Obviously you can't book domestic US journeys with a BA codeshare but it's an easy enough requirement to meet on TATL journeys given the BA/AA/IB/AY JV.
Think you've answered your own question!
Economy is fine for a 1-2 hour flight, but sucks otherwise - unless you're lucky enough to score a row of seats to put your legs across...
The fare class system was unfare beacause it benefited hub captives who often have to book in higher fare classes. This evened the playing field.
As an EP for well over 10 years, I decided to get the BA Gold match.
Trying to get the upgrade ring on the AA merry-go-round has become frustrating.
Once simple: if there were seats available when they did a status sweep, you would get it. Then, they started holding off, hoping to sell seats at regular price, creating huge upgrade wait lists. Now these upgrade wait lists are still there, but anyone with a bit of disposable income can just bypass all that by buying the upgrade.
Enough! I'll take the predictability of great lounge access and good seat selection with BA Gold.
Flagship lounge, BA First lounge, and Quantas LA lounge on a recent trip confirmed this is the right choice. (I may even drop AmEx Platinum, as those benefits have become less stellar in comparison)
I'll likely still quslify AA EP this year, only so that I can try to burn through the EP SysUp certificates.
I’m usually Platinum or Platinum Pro. I hit Executive Platinum for 2023 and felt like it wasn’t worth it. On Flight from DFW-MIA, a route I fly a lot, I was usually in double digits on the wait list. I’m back to Platinum Pro their year and can’t tell any difference, except the fact that most gate agents refuse to call Group 2 as a separate group.
I am one of those credit card EXP after many years of earning via BIS flying. I only do 2-3 round trips a year now, so I just buy into the front cabin unless it’s being reimbursed by someone.
One of the reasons I chase after status now is because I travel with 4 people and the MCE seating is valuable to me. The only upgrade I’ve received in the last year is on American’s shortest flights (LGA to PHL). I don’t expect many other benefits
I've been EXP years ago and requalified last year via the Loyalty Points program. Since introduction I find that upgrading to First is a great option, pay the price, as Lucky points out, most times if you time it right, it's very incremental and you're guaranteed the seat. That's all I care about. Sitting up front on 4 hour flights does make a difference. First on, first off with your carryon is a life saver.
I know a lot of frequent fliers as well as AA employees. They are all less loyal versus before. A very short-sighted strategy, but that's AA for you in recent years. The employee morale is rock bottom. They used to get first class often, too, but now it's almost never...and that's if they even get on the flight...since AA also sells the remaining coach seats for next to nothing if the flight isn't filling up enough. Many of them have said they would have never became an employee if they had known in advance it would be like this. A big part of their reason for working there, and accepting a lower pay rate than they otherwise would have been satisfied with, was access to flights and getting first class on a semi-regular basis. At some point, this will all come back to haunt AA if they don't seek some sort of middle ground. I don't think the majority of employees are demanding first class, as the pilots did, but having the chance of getting it from time to time is something they wish they'd get. I think if AA dialed back the selling of upgrades just a bit, and I imagine it would be nice if they would offer the same paid upgrade to employees that's confirmed if they get a seat on the plane. Not sure if that would work, but sounds fair enough. It's funny how people think it's a benefit to offer unlimited, free, upgrades, but the result is, fewer get them when they really want one.
Exp and Ck for over a decade. Last year I had zero upgrades as a exp. Yes, zero. And I fly every week. The change to 50% mileage credit for most of my fares (booked through concur) and seeing pilots upgraded ahead of me were the last straws. Status matched to delta as a platinum. Upgrades were maybe 20%. Now a diamond much better. Should be 360 shortly (spent about 60k this year so far). Absolute last issue was being on 6 hour flights in coach with one drink service. Multiple times. AA was very short sighted in their decisions. I have lifetime status which allows me to grab good coach seats when needed. However, everything else is on other airlines.
EXP, this year I’ve been upgraded a whopping 1! time. I am usually first in line on many screens. I completely agree with everyone and the total uselessness of obtaining status. Most of my travel has me going through DFW. Lounges are just terrible today. On a recent trip from PHX I was 9th on the list, totally stunned. The lounges there are as stuffed as every Centurion lounge. But looking again, there were 25 people listed…
This is my last time chasing status with AA, I cannot even access the free system wide upgrades any longer- great bonus if only everyone wasn’t offered. And now, 773’s losing first class seating to LHR, BA surely may be the way to go. Good luck everyone!
Longtime EXP. Booked PE ticket from LAX to LHR 3 weeks ago. Requested to use SWU and these were 23 seats available in business on 777-300, but had to waitlist. Used to clear almost 100% on same route/plane. Was number 1 on waitlist at airport with 0 seats available. Did a flight status search on other flights that day and every one had 0 seats available with no one clearing. Others are certainly being offered low cost upgrades for cash, but once you request to use SWU or mileage upgrade you are no longer offered the cash upgrade deals. That is a real slap in the face and the opposite of loyalty to your top tier members that are flying your airline and spending on your credit cards.
In the last three years, I have been upgraded once (and that was oddly enough, a year when I was a lowly platinum; and I got bumped back for weight and balance). I have never once been upgraded as executive platinum. Frankly, the only benefits to me are the free economy plus seat selection and mileage multiplier. But I don't see much inducement to stay loyal for executive platinum any more. I'll probably just do the bare minimum to get gold and be a free agent after that.
My experience as an EXP tracks yours. It's frustrating to watch a wide open domestic F cabin fill up in the 24-48 hours predeparture, well within our upgrade window. It's happening to me right now on a PHL-MIA flight operated with a 788. 36 hours out, there were 11 F seats out. Now there's one. Who's getting these seats? Surely pilots positioning hub-to-hub and EXP coupon clippers with higher rolling LP balances than me. I've had enough.
I can't say I blame you, but this comment is so telling of why there's so few comp status upgrades processing within the expected windows. They're holding out until the last minute for anyone to buy up.
I can echo all of these other comments regarding continued erosion of upgrades as an EXP. However, today, I saw something new. I hadn't cleared with less than 24 hours to go, and AA.com is now trying to get me to buy an upgrade at check in. I called AA and the EXP agent said he had not seen that before, especially when there are 4 empty seats in 1st Class. He noted that they typically hold back a seat or two but not 4. He wondered if this was a change. Anyone else seen that while checking in?
Earlier this month, 77 hours prior to departure, I booked a flight from PHX to CLT. At the time of booking, there were 3 FC seats open & I was expecting an upgrade within 72 hours of departure. 24 hours prior to departure, still 3 seats open in FC but no upgrade received. So I called AA. Agent confirmed FC seats available but they were trying to sell them. In fact, I too rec'd email offers to buy FC upgrade. Ultimately I never got upgraded. AA’s promotion of this benefit ("Your upgrade can be confirmed...") suggests a possibility rather than a guarantee. This tactic encourages loyalty without delivering promised benefits. This is not the transparent, premium service one expects from a world-class legacy airline. At best, this language is misleading and a misrepresentation. At worst, it's a scam.
Having the same experience—have only gotten 2 complimentary upgrades for the last year and a half-I have logged over 200,000 miles this year and am considering just allowing my status to drop next year and switch to more convenient carriers—I have had my top status now for over 24 years-my loyalty is really not being rewarded-guess American has become more of a credit card company and the air travel business is now secondary
I couldn’t agree more. I traveled quite a bit over the last two years and now I am an Exec Platinum Pro. I fly out of RIC and you cant get to anywhere without connecting through CLT or DWF, most of the time, not all, I would get upgraded when traveling. Now I am in a role where I do not travel as much and I do not get upgraded as much, which is kind of frustrating. I spent quite a bit on American and now feel like I am not valued. The Wife and I are flying to ORD to see our kids this weekend. Here we are less than 24 hours to our flight with plenty of seats in economy and first and no upgrade. Not a good feeling!
Right there with you. Flying tomorrow and 72 hours flew by and no upgrade. I am also EXP and flew over 200k last year. Very frustrating
Your comments were spot on. American has become exponentially more chintzy in awarding upgrades to EP Status members. Mine very rarely clear anymore and I usually end up using the extra miles to guarantee being up front. Status means very little these days on AA!
I didn’t realize until your post that people are tiered within exec platinum based upon items such as AA credit card spend. I’ve been exec platinum for 20 years and am just under 6 million miles. I don’t even look at the waitlist anymore. I haven’t been upgraded in months.
I have been an EP for 25 years and average 400,000 loyalty points a year. I am always in the top two or three on the upgrade list, so I believe there are a very significant number of people who are purchasing the cheap upgrades offered from AA. So very disappointing when I would get upgraded on 95% of my flights, but rarely get upgraded now.
American continues to wonder why they are losing business travelers, yet continues to treat them worse and worse. The main benefit of Executive Platinum is the upgrades, yet each year we get upgraded less and less. Even as EXP, it is incredibly rare to clear 100 hours in advance (the plane would have to be essentially empty), and if you get an upgrade, it is same day or at the airport. However, it is incredibly offensive that under the new check in process, American now does not clear me for an upgrade, but at the same time is wanting me to pay $47 for a first class seat during the check in process. So American would rather get $47 from me or literally anyone on the plane to bargain sell that first class seat than recognize an EXP member, a spend of $15-30K a year on American, and a few hundred thousand spend on American branded credit cards.
For my flight tomorrow, I paid $455 dollars for a roundtrip 35 minute flight, there are no main cabin extra seats available, I have a regular main cabin seat, American has first class availability, yet it is still trying to get $47 in revenue from anyone, rather than recognize an EXP providing that kind of economics to American. American’s management decisions literally blow me away, and then they wonder why they are not getting the business travel spend. Between that, a complete lack of on time reliability and a demoralized work force, there is every reason in the world to pick another airline over American if you have a choice. Such stupid short-term mentality - trying to get $47 in revenue and alienating a customer sending you tens of thousands of dollars each year.
I’ve been reading through all these comments and figured I’d add my two cents as someone who basically lives in airports.
In the last two weeks alone, I’ve flown ORF → PHL → BCN and back the same way. On the outbound, I got tired of watching the “upgrade pending” wheel spin endlessly, so I burned some miles to upgrade from Philly to Barcelona. But it was the return leg — BCN to PHL — that really drove me here.
While in Barcelona, I called the supposed “Executive Platinum dedicated line” (if that’s still a real thing) to ask if there were any upgradable seats available. I was already booked in Premium Economy — what used to be Business on a 787 before AA rebranded the cabins — and they told me there were no seats available for upgrade.
Now here’s where it gets interesting. When I boarded, I checked the app and saw two names on the upgrade list, zero seats available. A few minutes later, I watched a passenger from coach get escorted into “Business.” I refreshed the list — now it shows one cleared, two remaining, still zero seats available. Then a gate agent walks onboard, pulls the other two guys on the list, and upgrades them as well. I refresh again — now all three are cleared.
Meanwhile, I’ve been told repeatedly that “there are no complimentary upgrades on international flights.” So my question is: how are people getting upgraded on international routes every single month when even as EXP with 225,000+ Loyalty Points (and status already locked for next year), I can’t even get my name on the list?
It’s honestly exhausting. After all this flying, the most tangible perk of Executive Platinum at this point seems to be access to Flagship and partner lounges — which, don’t get me wrong, I love — but the upgrade process itself feels like a complete mystery wrapped in a shrug.
I feel your pain. I'm EP w/ over 350,000 points this year and 200k+ spend on the CC and I was passed over on a domestic flight to Jacksonville. I went ballistic and was told it was an error and was given (4) SW upgrades as compensation. I was hoping for CK, but from what I understand it needs to be a 500K spend.