One of the best perks of American Airlines elite status is complimentary space available first class upgrades. In 2022, American overhauled how upgrades for elite members work. As part of this, American introduced free upgrades for companions as well. In this post I wanted to take a closer look at how that works.
In this post:
Complimentary American elite companion upgrades
American Airlines offers AAdvantage elite members complimentary upgrades when traveling within North America. This doesn’t just apply to the elite member, but also applies to one travel companion. How exactly does this work?
- If you’re traveling on the same reservation as your companion, the upgrade request should automatically be made (just make sure you only have one companion, or else you’ll have to split the record); if you’re traveling on separate reservations, you have to contact American Airlines to link your reservations
- The companion will clear their upgrade based on your priority, though if the upgrade doesn’t clear prior to airport control, you’ll have to request the correct upgrade priority (which I’ll talk more about below)
- If a single upgrade seat opens up in advance, note that you’ll be skipped on the upgrade waitlist if you have a companion
As a reminder, complimentary AAdvantage elite upgrades are prioritized as follows:
- First by elite status — Concierge Key clears first, then Executive Platinum, then Platinum Pro, then Platinum, and then Gold
- The tiebreaker within each elite tier is your rolling 12-month total of Loyalty Points, which is also the metric by which you earn status; the higher your Loyalty Points total, the higher your upgrade priority, so yes, even credit card spending can help your upgrade priority
Companion priority on the airport upgrade standby list
This seems like something that American Airlines should fix, but so far it hasn’t…
In advance, you should find that companion upgrades automatically clear as they’re supposed to, based on the status priority of the “sponsor” with the higher elite status. However, once the flight is under airport control, you’ll find that the upgrade list sorts passengers based on their own priority, rather than based on the status of the sponsor.
So if you have a travel companion that you’re sponsoring an upgrade for, you’ll want to tell the check-in agent, Admirals Club agent, or gate agent, that the upgrade priority isn’t showing correctly. They’ll have to do a bit of typing, and eventually you should see that you and your companion are listed right behind one another on the upgrade list.
I’m not sure why American hasn’t fixed this. It seems like a huge waste of time for all involved, and doesn’t help with managing expectations. In fairness, I’ll only bother doing this if I think I actually have a shot at getting an upgrade. In other words, if there are no first class seats left and I’m number seven on the upgrade waitlist, there’s no point in making sure my companion is number eight (rather than number 20, or whatever).
Is American’s elite companion upgrade benefit fair?
As mentioned above, complimentary companion upgrades were only rolled out in 2022, so they’re still a fairly new part of the AAdvantage program.
On the surface, unlimited complimentary companion upgrades sounds like a positive. After all, sometimes you travel with a loved one or friend, and it’s nice to be able to treat them to a more comfortable experience as well.
The catch is that first class upgrades are a zero sum game. American has gotten much better at selling first class seats, leaving fewer seats for upgrades. Companion upgrades are probably good for the highest priority elites (Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members with high Loyalty Points totals), but they’re probably not great for most other people.
For example, say you have two first class seats remaining on a flight, and:
- The first person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 250,000 Loyalty Points and a companion
- The second person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 240,000 Loyalty Points and no companion
- The third person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 230,000 Loyalty Points and no companion
In this case, the Executive Platinum and a companion would clear the upgrade, leaving two other Executive Platinum members in coach. That’s not a system everyone is a fan of, though it goes both ways. On the next itinerary, the top Executive Platinum on the list may end up in economy when a Concierge Key clears with a companion.
What about systemwide upgrade priority?
Through the American AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards program it’s possible to earn systemwide upgrades, which can be used to upgrade flights globally. This is different than American’s complimentary upgrade program within North America.
There are often questions about how upgrade priority works when using systemwide upgrades, so let me clarify that:
- If you use a systemwide upgrade for a companion on the same flight you’re traveling on, they’ll receive your higher upgrade priority, even if not on the same reservation
- If you just gift a systemwide upgrade to someone else, and they use it for a flight you’re not traveling on, then they won’t receive your higher upgrade priority
The same caveat as above applies regarding upgrade priority when the flight is under airport control. At the airport you’ll have to see an agent to make sure they apply the higher status priority to the companion.
Bottom line
Nowadays American Airlines elite members receive free companion elite upgrades within North America. This is awesome for those situations where you’re traveling with someone, though the catch is that a companion upgrade may lead to another elite member not being upgraded.
There are some things to be aware of when it comes to companion upgrades, like needing to ask at the airport to have the correct upgrade order applied. If there are any questions about companion upgrades that I missed, please let me know.
What do you make of American’s companion upgrade policy?
My elderly husband lost his SWU because he used one 10 years ago . I called Advantage and was told he had borrowed it and it was still on the books as owed. I called them (because he was too mad). Too bad they said. They said it was theirs to take. No documentation or even how they would allow it. How can I correct this for them to even go back 10 years or even give us this excuse.
I'm not understanding what this means: "If you use a systemwide upgrade for a companion on the same flight you’re traveling on, they’ll receive your higher upgrade priority, even if not on the same reservation"
Systemwide upgrades are fantastic, as long as they are available. I don't know why the author of this article talks about your system wide upgrade companion being on an upgrade list when whole point of a system wide upgrade is that you're already in first class, lol!
And it really is easy to gift them to someone else. Just get the confirmation number and the passengers last name and you can upgrade anyone. But again,...
Systemwide upgrades are fantastic, as long as they are available. I don't know why the author of this article talks about your system wide upgrade companion being on an upgrade list when whole point of a system wide upgrade is that you're already in first class, lol!
And it really is easy to gift them to someone else. Just get the confirmation number and the passengers last name and you can upgrade anyone. But again, it's only available as long as they exist. An easy way to check it is to try and book a flight on the same flight as your companion. If you have any system wide upgrades, you will see a new link that says system wide upgrades available next to each available flight.
Finally, I had no idea that I had so many of the upgrades available! American has chosen to make the loyalty benefits an opt-in process, requiring people to actually log in and choose awards they otherwise would have automatically received. It would not surprise me that only a fraction of the customer base actually chooses an award before they expire, which they just expired March 31st.
I feel tricked by “Loyalty Award”. I’m 79 A/A Advantage since 1980. Years of mocking Loyalty awards I cannot use because my interesting ? destination is only to visit grandchild. For last 10 years I’ve written, begged A/A to let me use their “Thanks” as a voucher instead of paying additional $125 fee each way for my underseat pet. I’m on a pension and I would truly feel they’d given a useful ‘award’. The ‘companion’...
I feel tricked by “Loyalty Award”. I’m 79 A/A Advantage since 1980. Years of mocking Loyalty awards I cannot use because my interesting ? destination is only to visit grandchild. For last 10 years I’ve written, begged A/A to let me use their “Thanks” as a voucher instead of paying additional $125 fee each way for my underseat pet. I’m on a pension and I would truly feel they’d given a useful ‘award’. The ‘companion’ seat would still be vacant and A/A could still sell for more than my $250. Win- win. Or is that only for folks who already have tons of benefits? I will NOT abuse the system by pretending my trained mutt is needed for disability. Training a real Service Animal is a long and costly procedure.
Here is how to get around this problem and it is a big problem. Most of the time at the ticket counter they have to call a supervisor over to fix it, so my wife has the same EP status as me. Tag on a good 15 minutes for them to fix it. In smaller airports, forget it, they do not know how to fix it. Here is the workaround. I do not put in...
Here is how to get around this problem and it is a big problem. Most of the time at the ticket counter they have to call a supervisor over to fix it, so my wife has the same EP status as me. Tag on a good 15 minutes for them to fix it. In smaller airports, forget it, they do not know how to fix it. Here is the workaround. I do not put in my wife's advantage number when I make the reservation. I wait until the upgrade lists posts 12 hours before the flight and then I add her advantage number back and all is good.
As an AA Executive Platinum, amd my wife being Platinum, I can't tell you how many times although being on the same reservation, I get to be #1 or #2 on the upgrade list and my wife is #18. I've complained till I'm blue in the face. Been told it can't be done and then get a gate agent who figures out gets it done. I've also been told to not enter my wife's AAdvantage...
As an AA Executive Platinum, amd my wife being Platinum, I can't tell you how many times although being on the same reservation, I get to be #1 or #2 on the upgrade list and my wife is #18. I've complained till I'm blue in the face. Been told it can't be done and then get a gate agent who figures out gets it done. I've also been told to not enter my wife's AAdvantage #, so we do get on the list on my priority status. AA why the inconsistency? Nevermind the line forming behind me as the gate agents are visibly frustrated and wishing me to go away. Today, we both got upgraded prior to arriving at the airport. Go figure.
Just flew SFO/DFW/MEX. My wife was on a separate ticket. I'm EP, my wife has no status, Once I connected the two tickets we both cleared to first, no problem.
What the best way to upgrade you seat to upgrade class
My partner and I have been separated on the upgrade list despite being on the same ticket due to different status levels countless times over the past two years. Only once was the agent able to fix it, and it took her a while to figure out how to do it. All the other times we have been told it can't be done, despite showing them their official policy which states that it can. Since...
My partner and I have been separated on the upgrade list despite being on the same ticket due to different status levels countless times over the past two years. Only once was the agent able to fix it, and it took her a while to figure out how to do it. All the other times we have been told it can't be done, despite showing them their official policy which states that it can. Since we mostly travel together, this is actually incentive against me obtaining my own status. Luckily, since they raised the requirements for Gold, it will be easier to not qualify for status for next year. I have complained to AA with no response. It's a terrible policy.
My wife and I flew back from MBJ last month - I was number 1 on the upgrade list, my wife was number 3. I have EP status - I asked at checkin and at the gate to bump my wife up to #2. The agents I spoke with said they could not do anything and I should wait to see what happens. Well, AA split our itinerary without asking, I got upgraded and my wife was left back in coach. Very strange. And yes, I gave my seat to my wife.
“Coach”. These day they refer to it as main cabin or economy.
Unless you’re CK or EP this policy wouldn’t affect you . Any lower you’ll miss an upgrade by 5 or 20 people ahead of you.
When I travel with a companion, I always do so on separate reservations. I can then call AA and they will add the companion to the exit row for free to sit near me. The reason I prefer separate reservations is that I can still add them to the upgrade list, but if only 1 seat is available I can take it rather than being skipped.
Ben, could you please add/explain the upgrade/priority procedure for milage/co-pay upgrade. I spoke to AA customer service about this less than thirty minutes ago, and was told that for milage/copay upgrades, priority was not split at the airport. (This is a both passengers have same elite status situation). I am very skeptical about this reply.
As a mid-high LP EP (599K last year), I was upgraded about 80% of the time (this includes about half of these flights that my companion was with me and upgraded too), including flights TO hubs like PHX and ORD. Flights FROM hubs were less likely to be upgraded. I think this is such an amazing benefit and it's huge to not need 500-mile coupons. I have never been upgraded with my companion with Delta...
As a mid-high LP EP (599K last year), I was upgraded about 80% of the time (this includes about half of these flights that my companion was with me and upgraded too), including flights TO hubs like PHX and ORD. Flights FROM hubs were less likely to be upgraded. I think this is such an amazing benefit and it's huge to not need 500-mile coupons. I have never been upgraded with my companion with Delta Gold. The relatively great web specials, frequent upgrades, and reciprocal benefits on AS, JB make AA my go-to program from BOS.
One thing that could be added here is that if you are in a group of 3 people or more on a record locator, you can select main cabin extra or preferred seats next to each other, then split the reservation into 2 such that the person with highest status/LPs is with just 1 other person. That way, if you are comfortable splitting up, 2 people could still be upgraded.
@Chris, comparing upgrades as an Executive Platinum with 600K LP to upgrades as a Delta Gold is not relevant. The comparison should be with Delta Diamond. That said, given that the number of MQDs/MQMs don't matter for DL upgrade priority, you'll probably still do better on AA with that much travel. DL is focused on your fare paid and whether you're a corporate customer. How much you fly beyond qualification isn't even on the tie-breaker list.