At least on paper, one of the biggest perks of having elite status with an airline in the United States is being eligible for complimentary, space available first class upgrades. Admittedly these aren’t nearly as useful as they used to be, given that airlines have gotten much better at monetizing first class, meaning there are fewer seats available for upgrades.
Nonetheless, in this post I’d like to take a look at American Airlines’ system for complimentary upgrades, to reflect the current reality.
American Airlines elite upgrade benefit basics
All American AAdvantage elite members are eligible for unlimited, complimentary, auto-requested upgrades to first class on domestic flights, as well as to business class on select short haul international flights. Elite members aren’t just eligible to upgrade themselves, but are also eligible to upgrade a companion traveling with them.
The major catch, of course, is that a large number of elite members are generally competing for a fairly limited number of first class seats. The devil is very much in the detail when it comes to these benefits, so let’s cover everything you need to know.
Which routes are eligible for complimentary upgrades?
American AAdvantage elite members are eligible for upgrades on American marketed and operated flights in select regions. This includes:
- All flights within the United States, including to & from Hawaii
- Flights between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama)
Upgrades are valid from economy or premium economy to the next class of service, which will generally be marketed as first or business class. For flights with both first and business class (like premium transcontinental routes), complimentary upgrades aren’t offered from business to first class.
Upgrades are valid on both revenue and award tickets for all elite members, so you don’t need to book a ticket with cash to be eligible for an upgrade. Note that award tickets issued by partner airlines aren’t eligible for upgrades, so the reservation has to be ticketed by American.
How are complimentary upgrades prioritized?
How are American Airlines complimentary first class upgrades prioritized?
In other words, if two Executive Platinum members are requesting complimentary upgrades on a flight, the one with the higher Loyalty Points total would clear first.
It is worth noting the upgrade hierarchy beyond complimentary upgrades. Within each elite tier, upgrades “supported” with systemwide upgrades clear before complimentary upgrades. Whether you’re on a revenue ticket or an award ticket doesn’t factor into your upgrade priority. Of course confirmed upgrades with cash or miles would also clear first, since those aren’t even waitlisted.
While nuanced, it’s also worth mentioning that in some situations, pilots will clear upgrades ahead of elite members, so that’s worth being aware of.
When do complimentary upgrades clear?
American Airlines complimentary upgrades can start clearing at the following windows, based on your elite status:
- Concierge Key members can start to clear up to 120 hours before departure
- Executive Platinum members can start to clear up to 100 hours before departure
- Platinum Pro members can start to clear up to 72 hours before departure
- Platinum members can start to clear up to 48 hours before departure
- Gold members can start to clear up to 24 hours before departure
It’s worth understanding that just because upgrades can clear that far in advance doesn’t mean they actually will. Quite to the contrary, more often than not they won’t, even if the cabin is mostly empty. Upgrades can clear all the way up to 40 minutes before departure, and in some cases even after that, as onboard upgrades happen if there are no shows.
So consider it a blessing if your upgrade clears at the window, though certainly don’t expect it.
How do complimentary companion upgrades work?
All AAdvantage elite members are eligible for complimentary companion upgrades:
- Companion upgrades can clear the same time as the upgrades for the elite member
- If you’re booked on the same reservation then the companion upgrade can easily be requested, while if you’re on separate reservations, you’ll have to call American to link the two tickets
- The companion has the same upgrade priority as the elite member (they should be prioritized immediately behind them), regardless of whether it’s in advance or at the airport
How can you see the upgrade waitlist?
While American Airlines has a clearly defined upgrade hierarchy, the airline doesn’t generally make the upgrade priority list available in advance. In other words, there’s no way to know for sure how far down an upgrade list you’ll be well in advance of your flight. The best you can do is guess based on the number of seats assigned in Main Cabin Extra, since those are often seats filled with elite members.
However, the American app does show the upgrade list within 8-12 hours of departure, and there you can see your upgrade priority. Just keep in mind that the list only shows people who have already checked in for a flight, so the list will grow as the departure time approaches.
How do Alaska Airlines elite upgrades work?
Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have a partnership, offering reciprocal upgrades between the two airlines. How do upgrades work on American Airlines for eligible Alaska Atmos Rewards members?
- Alaska Atmos Rewards Titanium, Platinum, Gold, and Silver members, are eligible for complimentary upgrades on American, on all the same flights as AAdvantage members
- These upgrades are also valid for one companion booked on the same reservation
- Upgrades can be confirmed up to 72 hours before departure for Titanium and Platinum members (and are prioritized behind AAdvantage Platinum Pro members), up to 48 hours before departure for Gold members (and are prioritized behind AAdvantage Platinum members), and up to 24 hours before departure for Silver members (and are prioritized behind AAdvantage Gold members)
- Flights must be marketed by Alaska or American to be eligible
- The upgrade process is automatic, and you can call American Airlines reservations if you want to opt out of this
How often do American Airlines upgrades clear?
While American Airlines’ unlimited upgrade policy sounds great, how often should you expect upgrades to actually clear? Big picture, the percentage of premium seats filled by complimentary upgrades at US airlines has decreased sharply over the years.
For example, the latest numbers we’ve heard from an executive suggests that American is selling about 80% of its first class seats. On top of that, American has gotten much more aggressive with selling upgrades for cash. Consumers know that upgrades are tougher, so the airline basically wants elite members to pay to confirm an upgrade.
There’s no easy answer as to how often upgrades will clear, but here are a few considerations:
- If you’re not an Executive Platinum or Platinum Pro member, don’t expect that you’ll see too many upgrades
- There are lots of factors impacting upgrade odds, like the routes you’re flying, the days of the week you’re traveling, etc.; for example, someone flying to Washington DC on a Thursday or Friday will have much better odds than someone flying to Washington DC on a Sunday or Monday
Back in the day, I found that as an Executive Platinum member I cleared upgrades a vast majority of the time — a decade ago I’d say my upgrade percentage was maybe 80-90%, if not better. Nowadays, I’d estimate that the average upgrade percentage for Executive Platinum members is will under 50%.
Admittedly there’s going to still be huge variance. If you consistently travel during peak periods, you may almost never see an upgrade. Meanwhile if you consistently travel during off-peak periods and on shorter flights, you may find that you’re upgraded more often than not.
Bottom line
American Airlines offers complimentary upgrades to all AAdvantage elite members, as well as their companions, on both revenue and award tickets. On paper, American has one of the most generous complimentary elite upgrade policies.
The catch, of course, is that not all upgrades will clear. The more people that are eligible for upgrades, the higher the percentage of people who will be denied upgrades. As a matter of fact, I’d say that complimentary upgrades in the United States are becoming a less valuable perk as time goes on, as there simply aren’t that many seats to upgrade to, due to improving monetization of premium cabins.
The above should give you a basic understanding of how upgrades are prioritized, though.
If you’ve an AAdvantage elite member, what has your experience been with complimentary upgrades clearing?
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