American Airlines will offer space-available complimentary upgrades on “domestic” award tickets to all elite members, not just AAdvantage Executive Platinum members, starting on June 9, 2023.
Currently, only Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members of the American Airlines AAdvantage program are offered the possibility of a complimentary upgrade on an award ticket.
But as reported by JonNYC, that policy will change by the end of the week. Starting on June 9, 2023, all AAdvantage elite members will be eligible for complimentary upgrades on select AA-operated flights booked with miles. Those include flights:
- Within and between the US (including Hawaii)
- Between the US and:
- Canada
- Mexico
- the Bahamas
- the Caribbean
- Bermuda
- Central America
The change has been circulated internally and will be publicly announced tomorrow.
AA:
will change to elite upgrades (for “domestic”) for all statuses on award tickets, as it presently is for ExecPlat.— 🇺🇦 JonNYC 🇺🇦 (@xJonNYC) June 6, 2023
JonNYC adds that this upgrade policy will also cover one companion traveling on the same flight.
Upgrades will be confirmed based upon the following criteria (in this order):
- AAdvantage status
- Loyalty Points earned during the past 12 month
A tie is generally settled by who checked in earlier.
Is This A Good Idea?
We’ve seen quite a transformation in terms of how award tickets are valued. On Delta and United, your award tickets now count toward elite status. On Delta, United, and now American, elites will be eligible for complimentary upgrades on award flights.
As the value of “miles” become more dynamic and simply another currency of payment, it only makes sense that that award tickets be treated more like revenue tickets.
While this policy change hurts lower-tier elite members on paid tickets, it certainly makes having higher status more valuable. A Platinum Pro traveling on a saver award ticket will suddenly have priority over a Platinum member traveling on a full fare revenue ticket.
I do not care for the AA upgrade system overall because I think instrument upgrades, regardless of status, should be prioritized over complimentary upgrades, but that’s different than the manner before us. Here, I have no problem with elites benefiting not only on revenue tickets but on award tickets.
And for those mid-tier elites who may be griping, on certain routes they might suddenly find themselves upgraded at no cost when using miles, which is something they were not eligible for until now.
But the way American Airlines has been monetizing upgrades lately, the more likely outcome is that no elites will receive complimentary upgrades…
CONCLUSION
Starting on June 9, 2023, American Airlines will offer space-available complimentary elite upgrades to all elite members on “domestic” flights (including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean).
Are you in favor of or opposed to this change?
image: American Airlines
Wonder of they’re having trouble getting elites to redeem miles – they know what’s a deal and not a
Easy to fix that by making more saver first class awards available
Wow! My grass roots, one man campaign of repeatedly calling for this on various BoardingArea posts related to AA’s program worked! Great job, AA mgmt. I was a PL member last year but stopped my engagement in the program upon learning that award tickets weren’t eligible for an upgrade and I’m sitting at 1k LPs now. This change will re-engage me in the program and I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
The issue with AA currently is the lack of availability of upgrades due to reducing the price to paying customers. I have an upcoming flight where emails are coming every few days selling them at reduced rates on each email.
For as low as $108 a customer can upgrade on a segment from DFW-LAS which also gets them 2 checked bags. For the occasional flyer going to Vegas this sounds like a great deal to fly “First Class”. And obviously reducing the number of available upgrades for even CK and ExP members, let alone a gold member of an award ticket.
In reality this change does nothing other than “maybe” on non business route on a Saturday night.
Agreed, but if you’re getting $108 upgrade offers from DFW-LAS are you taking them? I certainly would!
I don’t see the problem. AA gets more money for their first class seat than they otherwise would. You could say that it diminishes elite status, but AA currently has more demand for their status than they know what to do with. As more people give up on chasing status, status would recuperate some of its value.
I could be wrong, Dave, but I thought the upgrade offers were targeted. My assumption, and validated with anecdotal experience, is that if I’m being offered an upgrade from DFW-LAS for $108, I’d eventually clear that anyway and AA is just taking a shot at picking up some revenue as they ease my upgrade anxiety. It’s unlikely that non-status fliers going to Vegas would get that same offer.
I’m an EXP, with fairly high LPs, and I probably clear 90% of upgrades. Most of my N. Amer. flying is on the nonstops from AUS (which I believe are less elite heavy), or to leisure destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean generally booked last-minute.
For domestic flying, I don’t expect to see any tangible difference. For island/beach routes, I usually book my ticket the day before when AA opens up 15K award space, and while these usually clear, I bet that won’t happen as often now. The real winners here are million milers who have inherited two big positive changes over the past year.
What are “instrument upgrades”?
Using eVIPS (systemwide upgrades).
Huzzah! Let’s invite more snot-nosed, self-aggrandizing classholes on board, who at the whim of anything that doesn’t meet their Emirates expectations for a FlyLo price, will degrade and lay blame at the feet of the frontline employees, after an already exhausting day dealing with the ineptitude of management and their poor decision making. Gone are the days of employee travel benefits.
This is a no -event, at least for pax in/out of DFW. Premium cabins are usually full and the chance of an upgrade clearing is minuscule or nonexistent.