Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Want to upgrade on your next American Airlines flight? If you’re not a top elite member of the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program, your chances may seem less than optimal.
But you shouldn’t give up hope. Although upgrade demand is high and availability limited, there’s usually a way to fly in the front of the plane if you:
Let’s take a look at American Airlines’ definitive policy for allocating upgrades to its top elites and how non-elites stand a chance of flying in premium cabins.
American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program rewards its top elite members with complimentary upgrades and the ability to earn worldwide upgrades.
All travelers who have AAdvantage miles can use them to upgrade their flights when upgrade space is available.
All AAdvantage elite members receive complimentary upgrades on all flights within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. These upgrades can include 1 companion on the same flight.
Systemwide upgrades can be chosen annually as part of the Loyalty Point Rewards system starting at 175,000 Loyalty Points.
These upgrades allow for up to 3 segments in each direction of travel (outbound or return) to be upgraded from Basic Economy or Main Cabin to business class or business class to first class.
Use your miles to upgrade American-marketed and operated flights worldwide. Depending on the destination you’re traveling to, you can use a combination of miles and a cash co-pay to secure an upgrade to the next higher cabin. For example, a domestic itinerary within the continental U.S. would require 15,000 miles and $75.
One of the greatest challenges of securing an upgrade on American Airlines is finding available seats. Just because you can purchase a business class seat does not mean that the seat is available for an upgrade.
If you have ConciergeKey or Executive Platinum status with American Airlines, you’ll be able to see the availability of using systemwide upgrades or mileage upgrade awards when you search for a flight on aa.com.
Others will have to call to find out if upgrade space is available and if it is possible to use miles to upgrade on a particular flight.
Another option to find out if upgrade space is available is to subscribe to a third-party service such as ExpertFlyer and search for C (business class) or A (first class) award space.
The upgrade hierarchy for American Airlines is similar to other airlines’ upgrade rankings in that elite status is the most important factor.
This is the order in which upgrades are processed as well as their numeric code when listed on the internal priority list (known as the PALL):
1. Elite Status Level: Highest to Lowest
2. Upgrade Type: Highest Priority to Lowest Priority
3. 12-month Rolling Loyalty Points
The amount of Loyalty Points the elite member has earned in the previous 12 months.
4. Time/Date of Upgrade Request (Tie-breaker)
The only option for non-elite members to secure an upgrade is with mileage upgrade awards (or a gifted systemwide upgrade from an elite member), and even then, all elite members will supersede your request on the upgrade waitlist.
Hot Tip: Don’t let the upgrade priority list keep you from requesting a mileage upgrade award. Even without elite status, if upgrade space is available when you book your ticket, the upgrade may clear immediately. The trick is finding available upgrade space, but it is possible.
Elite status is the #1 factor determining which travelers will be upgraded on American Airlines flights. Top elite members, for example, can earn systemwide upgrade (SWU) certificates that, when used, outrank most other upgrade requests.
| Qualifying Metric | Gold Oneworld Ruby | Platinum Oneworld Sapphire | Platinum Pro Oneworld Emerald | Executive Platinum Oneworld Emerald |
| Loyalty Points | 40,000 | 75,000 | 125,000 | 200,000 |
Here’s how elite members fare when it comes to securing an upgrade:
This top status is by invitation-only at American Airlines’ discretion. It includes all of the upgrade benefits of Executive Platinum plus upgrade priority over all other elite members.
You can earn 2 systemwide upgrades on the way to Executive Platinum status (at 175,000 Loyalty Points) plus the ability to earn extra SWUs at 250k, 400k, 550k, 750k, 1,000,000, 3,000,000, and 5,000,000 Loyalty Points earned.
Complimentary upgrades are available on flights within the U.S. (including Hawaii) and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Achieving Platinum Pro earns complimentary upgrades on flights within the U.S. (including Hawaii), and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Achieving Platinum and Gold earns complimentary upgrades on all eligible flights. You will fall behind all other elite tiers.
Bottom Line: Top AAdvantage program elite status is the #1 factor that determines who will receive an upgrade on American Airlines. Having the right credit card in your wallet can make earning one of these elite statuses easier. Read more in our guide to the best credit cards for airline elite status.
There are 2 issuers of AAdvantage credit cards: Citi and Barclays.
Having an AAdvantage credit card does not increase your chances of receiving an upgrade, but it can make your trip more comfortable and affordable. You’ll be able to get a free checked bag, as well as save on inflight food and beverage purchases.
For co-branded credit cards, you will earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 dollar spent. For example, Executive Platinum status, requiring 200,000 Loyalty Points, would require $200,000 spent on a co-branded credit card. The more you spend on your co-branded credit card, the faster you can earn elite status.
Hot Tip: For a list of American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards and the perks and rewards available with each card, access our complete guide.
All travelers, regardless of AAdvantage frequent flyer status, can use AAdvantage frequent flyer miles to upgrade on American Airlines- or American Eagle-marketed or operated flights based on availability.
Upgrades are valid for a single-class upgrade on up to 3 segments for the outbound or return journey and exclude award tickets.
The amount of miles it takes to upgrade a ticket varies depending on the route and the fare class of the ticket. The following chart reflects the number of miles and co-pay needed to upgrade.
The good news is that even a discount economy ticket qualifies for an upgrade with miles. Unfortunately, upgrade space is not always available.
Visit aa.com for complete descriptions of fare classes and zone definitions for these types of mileage upgrades.
Bottom Line: You don’t have to have elite status with the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program to be able to upgrade a flight using miles. Even a discount economy ticket is eligible.
You can use your AAdvantage frequent flyer miles to upgrade on British Airways and Iberia flights.
One caveat is that you will need to purchase at least a full-fare economy ticket such as the Y/B fare class to use miles to upgrade, which may be quite expensive.
Here are examples of how many miles it takes to upgrade flights on these partner airlines:
| To/From | To/From | Full-Fare Economy to Premium Economy | Premium Economy to Business | Full-Fare Economy to Business | Business to First |
| North America | Europe | 12,500 | 12,500 | 25,000 | 35,000 |
| North America | Africa | 20,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| North America | Indian Subcontinent, Middle East | 20,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
Mileage upgrades are valid for up to 3 segments on a one-way journey, outbound or return.
One possible sweet spot here is the British Airways premium economy to business upgrade for 12,500 miles each way. This fare occasionally goes on sale, making it a good value for securing an upgrade.
Keep in mind that there may be additional taxes and carrier-imposed fees for specific itineraries, such as flights originating in Great Britain and France.
Additional routes not originating in North America are also available for mileage upgrades. View complete zone and fare class definitions for partner airline mileage upgrades on aa.com.
You can also use systemwide upgrades on British Airways provided that the ticket was purchased through American and has at least 1 segment on American Airlines.
Hot Tip: British Airways offers discounts for AARP members at the rate of $200 per business class ticket and $65 for economy or premium economy for flights originating from the U.S. It’s a potentially good value when combined with mileage upgrades. You do not have to be 50 or older to join AARP.
American Airlines has recently improved its companion upgrade process. If an elite member is traveling with a companion, the companion upgrade will now receive the same status priority as the elite member. Companions do not have to be AAdvantage program members, and the upgrade is deducted from the sponsoring member’s account.
For example, if an Executive Platinum elite member is traveling with a companion on the same flight, the companion will be elevated to Executive Platinum priority for upgrades, regardless of whether the companion has status. An upgrade can be designated as either “split” or “no split” by speaking with an agent. If there is 1 seat available, a “split” upgrade would upgrade 1 person, but leave the other person in economy. If the upgrade is marked as “no split,” both upgraders will decline the upgrade, and the upgrade will move down on the list to the next eligible person.
Companion upgrades are complimentary for up to 1 companion traveling with you on the same flight. Prior to July 2022, companion upgrades required 500-mile certificates but these have since been retired.
Securing an upgrade on American Airlines may be challenging. Upgrades are limited, and demand is high, but there are ways to increase your chances of an upgrade or secure a premium cabin ticket directly.
A definitive process for allocating upgrades is a positive and rewards AAdvantage elite members whose loyalty is strongest with American Airlines. For others, just like with any airline, directly purchasing premium class tickets to fly in premium class is becoming increasingly necessary.
Flying in premium class can be accomplished quite easily by purchasing a business or first class award tickets with miles or with paid flights offered at discount prices.
Was this page helpful?
James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.
Travel is changing fast... Stay on top of all the points strategies, exclusive offers & pivotal news - and lock in huge savings along the way.
We respect your privacy. Please view our privacy policy here.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
73 comments
MissVacation
January 09, 2019
Your example of a flight of 2,400 miles would require 5 500-mile upgrade certificates. If I am traveling with my spouse, would I then need 10 500-mile upgrades for both of us or still just 5 regardless the number of companions traveling with me?
Christine Krzyszton
January 10, 2019
Thanks for your question. You would need 5 500-mile upgrade certificates for each person traveling on the 2400 mile flight. Executive Platinum elite members do not need to use upgrade certificates as they receive complimentary upgrades but they can use the upgrade certificates if they want to confirm the upgrades in advance.
Angela
January 22, 2019
I recently booked 2 award tickets; there is no option to request upgrades. I have plenty of 500 mile upgrades available. Can they be used on award tickets or only paid fares?
Christine Krzyszton
January 23, 2019
Thanks for your question, Angela. You may only use 500 mile upgrades on eligible purchased tickets. According to American Airlines, “Members may not combine AAdvantage® flight awards with upgrade awards.” Also, you cannot use 500 mile upgrades for basic economy purchased tickets. For more information on 500 mile upgrades: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/aadvantage-terms-and-conditions.jsp#terms500mile
Tom Tibor
February 09, 2019
My son is a platinum pro, and my daughter is a platinum. We are looking at booking for American economy tickets and want to ensure the highest chance of upgrade for my son my daughter my wife and I. Should I book us all under the same reservation and see if they will use my sons platinum pro status for all of us? Or should I break the booking and have my son in one booking with one parent, and my daughter in another booking with the other parent? It seems like American will only upgrade one companion in a booking.
Stephen Au
February 09, 2019
Hi Tom,
With Platinum Pro, you can upgrade 1 companion. So, the best strategy is to book your son and either your wife or you on the same reservation. Whoever needs the upgrade the most should be booked with your son’s Platinum Pro status. Then, your daughter and the remaining family member will be booked with AA Platinum. They will allow a maximum of 1 companion for these upgrades. Thanks for reading!
Spenser Bunn
February 11, 2019
Very nice article indeed. Would you happen to know if it’s possible to upgrade with SWU (Y->J) then use miles+copay to upgrade again (J->F)?
Christine Krzyszton
February 11, 2019
Hi Spenser and thanks for the kind words. I do not know if it is possible to upgrade with miles + co-pay after you have used a systemwide upgrade. Nor could I find any reference to this in the terms and conditions. First, we know that the upgrade must clear, then once you have business class, you would request the miles/copay upgrade to first. Miles and copay upgrades are based on paid fare classes including discount economy/business and full fare economy/business. It seems possible to accomplish, but if allowed, the miles/copay would be based on the fare paid not on the cost of upgrading from business class to first. I think you might need to contact the executive platinum line for an answer or maybe one of our readers has done this and can contribute.
James Larounis
February 11, 2019
Hi Spencer. It is not possible to upgrade to Y-J with an instrument and then again from J-F using another instrument. The instruments are good for one-cabin upgrades, so in this case, if you’re starting in Y, you’d go to J.
Christine Krzyszton
September 29, 2019
Thank you James!
Alex
February 13, 2019
I am AA Platinum Pro and have 20+ 500 mile upgrades in my account. How do I use these upgrades with my Platinum Pro Elite status?
Stephen Au
February 13, 2019
Hey Alex,
As a Platinum Pro member, you get free 500 mile upgrades automatically; therefore, you don’t need to use your 500 mile upgrades! It’s automatic!
Alex
February 14, 2019
Hi- thanks for reply. So what can I do with the 20+ 500 mile upgrades that are in my account? Can I convert to Advantage miles? Can I transfer to my wife? I don’t want them to simply expire. Thanks.
Christine Krzyszton
February 14, 2019
Hi Alex. The 500 mile upgrades do not expire. They cannot be converted or transferred, however, you can use them to upgrade traveling companions. You can also use them to confirm an upgrade for yourself/companion instead of waiting for the complimentary upgrade.
Cassy
February 27, 2019
I have a question about what is considered an award flight. If I book an Economy AAnytime flight to Europe using 65k miles with booking code Y, would I be eligible to upgrade with miles? i.e. Are AAnytime flights considered “award flights” or only SAAver flights? Thanks!
Christine Krzyszton
February 27, 2019
Hi Cassy. All those terms can be confusing so thanks for the question. AAnytime & MileSAAver awards are both award flight options. Actually, award flights are all flights where you’re using miles to purchase the flight. You would not be able to upgrade an award flight with miles. Instead you would just initially purchase an award flight in a higher class such as business or first, for example. Here is some more information on AA award flights: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/miles/redeem/award-travel/award-travel.jsp
Lori
March 14, 2019
Hi Christine. My husband is an Executive Platinum and has 4 SWU. Can myself and kids use them on an international flight from HKG-ANC without him traveling with us?
Christine Krzyszton
March 14, 2019
Hi Lori and thanks for the great question. You should start packing your bags because your husband’s SWUs (System-wide Upgrades) can be shared with anyone he chooses. American’s website states it like this: “You can share your upgrades with anyone you choose, whether you are traveling with them or not. Call your elite service desk in advance to request the upgrade.” Happy travels.
Jason Simon
March 28, 2019
Do C booking codes get access to lounges as though they purchased a business ticket?
Christine Krzyszton
March 29, 2019
Hi Jason. Travelers in Business Class (even C class) have access to lounges when traveling Internationally to the following areas: Asia,Australia,Central America,Europe,Mexico City(MEX),New Zealand,and South America. You just need to show your business class boarding pass and government issued photo ID.
Tim
March 30, 2019
My wife and I are AA Gold travelling tomorrow. My wife is travelling on a companion ticket, an award from the Citibank Business Card. Contrary to the article, they will not allow us to apply for an upgrade, either 500 or mileage.
Christine Krzyszton
March 30, 2019
Hello Tim. The article does not mention the Citi AAdvantage Companion Certificate and the corresponding $99 ticket. For those who are not familiar, the certificate is earned on the CitiBusiness AAdvantage credit card after spending $30,000 and can be redeemed for a companion ticket for just $99 plus the cost of the taxes/fees, when another paid ticket is purchased. The certificate companion ticket comes with many restrictions including black out dates and other limitations. It is also not an award ticket or the same as having a companion fly on a paid ticket on the same reservation, both of which can be upgrade-eligible as mentioned in the article. Thanks for your comment Tim, and I am sorry you were unable to upgrade the companion certificate ticket.
Crystal Fiero
May 22, 2019
My husband and I are planning our anniversary trip to Kauai next summer and I am trying to find the easiest way to upgrade our seats without breaking the bank. Should I open up an airline c/c? If so which would be the best? I am not picky on the flight company, but we flew to Kauai once in coach, and it was horrible! Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Stephen Au
May 22, 2019
Crystal,
It all depends on what airline you’re flying. If you’re flying to Hawaii on United Airlines, it doesn’t make sense to apply for the American Airlines credit card, as it is useless for the purposes of upgrading that specific flight.
Generally, we recommend applying for the credit card that offers the highest welcome bonus for the airlines you’re flying and want to get upgraded on. Hope this helps! Thanks for reading.
Steph D
June 11, 2019
I switched from a competitor and received AA gold for doing so. This article is helpful!
Question, though, do the 500-mile upgrades expire/ have a time limit? If so, is there anything you can do to avoid expiration?
I request the upgrade every time I fly and have yet to receive it (I’m usually #20 or so) and I’ve flown 25K miles and about 20 segments. I’m afraid they’ll never get used!
Thanks!
Christine Krzyszton
June 12, 2019
Hi Steph. Glad you found the article useful. No, the 500-mile upgrades do not expire. I tend to use them when I travel with a friend or family to make sure we both get upgraded. Unfortunately upgrades are based on availability and from AA hub cities, getting upgrades can be difficult. However, it is unusual that when you choose to use them, they never clear.
Linda Dodd
July 30, 2019
Hi Steph,
I have 10 500-mile upgrades. However, I’m no longer Gold and my understanding is that I cannot use those upgrades unless I achieve an elite status level again. Is this true?This seems unfair, especially for upgrades that are purchased. Thanks!
Christine Krzyszton
July 31, 2019
Hi Linda. Unfortunately, you are correct. You need to have elite status to use your 500-mile upgrades. Here is a list of the terms and conditions: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/aadvantage-terms-and-conditions.jsp#terms500mile
Ian
July 31, 2019
Infrequent parsimonious flyer here. I applied by phone for an upgrade with miles, after getting confirmation of an economy seat, 10 months in advance of a flight. AA said I would be put on the wait list and get the upgrade award if space opened up.
The website has changed recently and I can’t find a way to confirm I am on a waiting list. I have to call, I guess. But I don’t want to keep calling every day for the next 10 months. Simply want to CLICK to confirm I haven’t been taken off the upgrade list.
Can anybody find an online link to do this? It used to exist on the traveler reservation page.
Christine Krzyszton
August 01, 2019
Hi Ian. AA upgrades to business class can be difficult to score. The good news is that upgrade requests using miles will clear before complimentary upgrades are given out when it gets close to departure. The bad news is that you are on the wait list with any elite members who have also requested an upgrade with miles, and those will have the priority of clearing over non-elites. Fortunately you are requesting the upgrade far in advance. With that said, make the call to find out if you are still on the wait list because yes, it is possible to fall off. You can also subscribe to a site such as Expert Flyer (about $5/month), check for AA upgrade award seat availability and when you see something open up, you can call in.
Ken
August 11, 2019
If I have Emerald One World status from a different airline, will AA consider this for complimentary upgrades?
Christine Krzyszton
August 12, 2019
Hi Ken. Officially, no. However, there is the possibility of it happening due to an operational oversold situation or at the discretion of the gate agent who recognizes your status.
Neil Crumpton
August 12, 2019
Good article! I’m seeking clarification – I thought Barclaycard cut the EQD earning potential commencing 2019 with Red and Blue card holders no longer earn any EQD’s regardless of spend, and Silver card members only getting $3,000 EQDs when they spend $50,000?
Christine Krzyszton
August 12, 2019
Hi Neil. You are correct regarding the changes on Red and Blue Aviator cards no longer earning EQDs. I have updated the chart with the current information for Silver Aviator cards.
Ron
August 20, 2019
My wife and I are flying to Paris next spring on rewards economy tickets. Is it possible to upgrade to premium economy with miles or with cash?
Jarrod West
August 20, 2019
Hi Ron,
Did you purchase your economy tickets with cash or with miles? If you purchased them with cash then yes you can upgrade to premium economy with cash or with miles. If you purchased your ticket with miles then you would need to change your award ticket to premium economy. Luckily, American Airlines allows this free of charge as long as the origin and destination remain the same.
Brad Bishop
September 08, 2019
Hi Christine – great article. I’m platinum and I called AA to use miles to upgrade a flight in December to business. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted. What’s the earliest my upgrade would clear? Will I be waiting until 24 hours before the flight? Thanks
Christine Krzyszton
September 09, 2019
Hi Brad. Your upgrade could clear at anytime and there is no real way of knowing when seats will open up. It could clear as early as today or as late as after you have boarded the airplane, which happened to me once. I would, however, make a call in to AA periodically to make sure you are still on the waitlist.
tracy
September 22, 2019
I don’t have elite status/miles with AA, but found that their business class fare flights to Barcelona are the cheapest during my travel dates (combined with an economy return).
I’m wondering, however, if I should buy the business class fare outright? Or is it better to buy an economy ticket, and pay for an upgrade with cash?
Christine Krzyszton
September 23, 2019
Hi Tracy. If you’re comfortable with the price of the business class outbound ticket, compared to the economy price, that seems like a logical (and fun) option. There is not one single set price for an upgrade, just the difference in price that you see between economy and business fares. If you purchase an economy fare and call in to upgrade, they’re going to price out the business class fare and charge you the difference. There can be special offers to upgrade prior to departure, however.
VANESSA STRATTON
September 29, 2019
How can I use my AA miles to upgrade on British Airways? Flying to Venice for our 30th and would like to go business class. Thanks!
Christine Krzyszton
September 29, 2019
Hi Vanessa. If you have purchased a ticket with a qualifying fare class, and there is upgrade availability, it is possible. Here is the fare chart that shows you how many AA miles it would take to upgrade on British Airways. Also make note of which fare classes qualify for upgrades. In addition, here is our article on how to upgrade on British Airways. Upgrade chart/rules: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/miles/redeem/award-travel/upgrade-with-miles-on-partner-airlines.jsp Article on upgrading with British Airways: /how-to-upgrade-on-british-airways
Renee Packel
October 09, 2019
We are flying to Paris and home from Lyon in May. We purchased tickets through our tour operator and would like to use our miles to upgrade. We have Gold status with American Airlines. Any chance of doing this?
Thanks for your help.
Christine Krzyszton
October 10, 2019
Hi Renee. It is possible depending on the fare class you purchased and the availability of upgrade space. You should contact American and give them your flight record locator number to inquire about your specific itinerary.
Jarrod West
October 10, 2019
Hi Renee,
If upgrade space is available for your flight, then yes you should be able to upgrade your seat with miles. Please refer to the “Upgrading with Miles” section of this post for more information on how the upgrade process works. If you need additional assistance, I recommend calling the American Airlines customer support team and they can walk you through the process.
Thanks for reading!
vicki wojdakowski
October 10, 2019
I’ve purchased a bulk ticket for my clients and cannot get an upgrade for purchase for one of their legs OGG to PHX. They purchased a package.
Why???
Christine Krzyszton
October 10, 2019
Hi Vicki. Please understand that we are not American Airlines. We are Upgraded Points, a blog specializing in miles, points, travel, and credit card resources. You should contact American Airlines for your inquiry as we do not have any details of your client’s reservation to assist you.
Heather Carano
February 02, 2023
Vicki,
Curious? Were you able to resolve this. We are having the same issue going to Barcelona. I was curious if you had any tips, suggestions or such. I would greatly appreciate it.
Jeffrey Schmitz
December 26, 2019
First, thanks for the great site and for taking time to answer the questions, this is complicated stuff. I am traveling to the UK with my wife, and have Platinum Pro status. I’d like to maximize our chances of an upgrade to business class. From what I think I’ve gathered from your site is first, I should purchase these tickets with cash and not use award miles, and second, I should purchase premium economy, not just main cabin. If that’s the case I’m a little conflicted because even when I buy just main cabin it allows me to select premium seats for free, so I’d be paying a pretty big price just to increase my odds at business class, but with no guarantee. Or am I confused somehow? And just to add to my confliction, I’m planning on taking our two teen age kids with us, and if I put all of us on the same reservation I can get all Premium economy seats for the price of Main Cabin, which is a very large savings, but as I understand it that would negate any chance of an upgrade to business, is that correct?
Christine Krzyszton
December 28, 2019
Hi Jeffrey. Thanks for reading and for the kind words. Sounds like a great family trip and fortunately you have several options. First, Premium Economy is different than the Main Cabin Extra you can select complimentary with your status. It is a class between Main Cabin Extra (the complimentary premium seats you can select) and Business. Here are a couple of ideas. If you have enough miles, you could purchase 2 business class tickets for you and your wife. Then buy 2 Premium Economy (or economy) tickets and upgrade those with miles for your teenagers. Or you can purchase 4 Premium Economy tickets, all be on the same reservation, and upgrade those with miles. Take a look at the upgrade chart in this article or on AA web site to get an idea of how much it will cost to upgrade discounted economy/premium economy with miles/cash. As you mentioned, you could also just purchase economy and select main cabin extra seating. If you do this, you may have the option to upgrade with miles to Premium Economy. Of course all of this is dependent on availability. I would give AA a call to determine which options are available on the flights you’re considering. With your Platinum Pro status, you’re in a good position to create a combination that works. Also, here is a related article: /american-airlines-main-cabin-extra-vs-preferred-seating/#Preferred-Seats
Jeff Schmitz
December 29, 2019
Thanks for the correction on the seat classes, you are absolutely right of course. As far as the upgrade, I really want to just have a chance at a free complimentary upgrade. I don’t want to spend miles or cash to guarantee it though, and they have some GREAT web specials right now to London. However if I use miles and select Cabin Extra seats, I have no chance of a complimentary upgrade to anything higher, right? If so, is that true just for international flights, or for domestic as well? If you don’t mind another question, I flew Alaska Airlines in early December and even though I had my preferred miles choice listed as AA, I never received the miles. I put in a missing miles request to AA. Should I put one in with Alaska Airlines as well? I’ve tried using their form but couldn’t specify that I want the miles applied to AA, not my Alaska account.
Thanks Again!
Jeff
Christine Krzyszton
December 30, 2019
Hi Jeff. Unfortunately, only AA domestic flights are eligible for complimentary upgrades. Regarding AA miles for your Alaska Airlines flight, you submitted the
request to the proper airline. While you do not need to submit a request to Alaska (they can only give you Alaska Airline miles), you might want to
follow up and submit another request to American Airlines. Also, here’s a nice article on Platinum Pro that includes information about upgrades. /american-airlines-platinum-pro-status-value-upgrades/
Vanessa Angelo
January 30, 2020
Thanks for a great post! I have a question. I’m Platinum Pro with American. If I book a paid flight (not award) through my American Express Platinum booking site to get the Amex points rather than directly with American, will I still get my Platinum Pro status recognized and be able to get upgraded for myself – and use miles to upgrade my mom as well after booking? I am booking her on the same reservation as me. I appreciate your help!
Christine Krzyszton
January 30, 2020
Hi Vanessa. Yes, your status will be recognized and any appliciable upgrades due you will be apply.
YB
January 25, 2021
Do the complimentary upgrades with status require you to purchase a specific class? Thanks.
Christine Krzyszton
January 26, 2021
Elite members do not need to purchase a specific fare class ticket to qualify for complimentary upgrades. However, there is 1 exception: “Upgrades are not available to customers traveling on Basic Economy fares, regardless of elite status.”
Hannah
December 07, 2021
I tried to upgrade with miles on a flight in April. I have no special status but Expert Flyer says there are 7 C code seats available. However, when I call I can only be placed on a waitlist. Do you have any tips for this?
Christine Krzyszton
December 07, 2021
Hi Hannah. The good news is that “upgrade with miles” requests are processed before any complimentary upgrades are given out to elite members. Unfortunately, any elite members that have mileage upgrade requests pending may be cleared ahead of you. Fortunately, you are requesting the upgrade well in advance and that does give it some priority over those requested closer to departure. It doesn’t hurt to call in occasionally to confirm that you are still on the waitlist. Hope it comes through for you.
tony
April 03, 2022
Is there any way to take care of any of this without calling? Once the phone is involved it’s no longer worth the wait times.
Jarrod West
April 04, 2022
Hi Tony,
Unfortunately, calling the AA customer service line is the only option at this point.
Brent
May 31, 2022
I have been using expert flyer for years to find available Upgrade-able inventory, however it seems as though AA is not releasing C inventory. I have checked itineraries on different routes for 1 segment every week for 52 weeks and there is ZERO C class upgrades available. The points/ miles are useless in my opinion unless you want to use anytime miles.
Arnie
August 05, 2022
Thank you. I have a question. I purchased AA ticket L fare with cash (my work credit card). Then I upgraded to J fare class with cash as well (my personal credit card). Do I earn miles on just the L fare or both the L fare and J upgrade (since I paid for the upgrade and didn’t redeem miles to get it)?
Christine Krzyszton
August 05, 2022
Hi Arnie. You should earn miles based on the price of your ticket, including the amount paid for the upgrade, minus the taxes/fees. The number of miles you’ll earn per dollar spent will depend on your status with the American Airlines AAdvantage program. You will earn 5x miles per dollar spent with no status, up to 11x miles for Executive Platinum status.
Arnie
August 05, 2022
Thank you for your kind reply Christine. A follow up question if you don’t mind so terribly. My L fare was purchased for $588.85 and my J upgrade was purchased for an additional $540. So I earn the miles on the L fare then correct? So the upgrade that I paid cash for doesn’t earn my any miles at all?
Christine Krzyszton
August 06, 2022
You are welcome, Arnie. You should earn miles on the total of both (minus taxes/fees). You might check your ticket receipt as it should show the total on which you’d earn miles.
AE
October 24, 2022
In September 2022, my husband and I were both on the same reservation (same record locator) for a PHL-ORD flight. My elite status is higher than his because I travel more. Ten minutes before boarding, AA split my reservation, gave me alone a new record locator, and upgraded me. So we ended up flying separately.
I did not like that at all, nor could I do anything about it because I realized the split and upgrade as I was boarding when they scanned my old boarding pass. By then, my old seat had been given to someone else. Why would they assume that I want to be split from anybody in my reservation, without ever asking? What if I was traveling with my children, who are 16 and 17, so old kids but not adults either?
Do you know with whom (if anybody) this issue can be addressed?
Christine Krzyszton
October 25, 2022
Hi AE. How frustrating. I have been called up by the gate agent and asked if I wanted to be upgraded when just one seat was available (and therefore have the reservation split) but never had them do it without asking. You can contact AAdvantage customer service at 800-882-8880 or via your AAdvantage elite status reservation number.
Nicolas Hare
February 19, 2023
Hi, I love your blog! For someone like me, that is pretty new at all of this, is really helpful.
I am sorry if my question is quite basic, but here it goes.
I recently got the platinum pro level on American Airlines (due to my credit card expenses, not so much for traveling), and from what I have seen that gets me the Emerald level on Oneworld.
Now I need to purchase some flights but with associated airlines (Iberia and Jet blue), and don’t seem to find how to ‘use’ my Oneworld status, also I don’t see any Oneworld app where I can confirm my user and status either. Any advice for a beginner here? Thanks!
Chris Hassan
February 20, 2023
Hey Nicolas,
When you are making your reservation on partner airlines, there should be a section at checkout that allows you to add your AA frequent flyer number. If not, you can reach out to Iberia or JetBlue after you book and they can add it manually. Your status will get you access to free checked bags and better seats!
Mary
March 03, 2023
Hello–I recently achieved gold status with AA and frequently fly from SNA to JFK. I looked up upgrade availability for many dates for this flight on Expert Flyer, and there has never been a single upgrade available in business or first. Do some flights not offer upgrades at all? There are still plenty of seats available for purchase in these classes. If they remain unpurchased, will they eventually become available for complimentary upgrades?
Thank you!
Jarrod West
March 06, 2023
Hi Mary,
Upgrades for Gold members start clearing 24 hours before departure, so if the seats have not been sold or given to flyers with higher elite status levels then you should get the seat.
Michael
April 28, 2023
One small update: Platinum Pro = oneworld Emerald.
Jarrod West
April 28, 2023
Hi Michael,
Thanks for pointing that out – I’ve corrected the post.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.