American companion upgrades start Thursday, officially retiring 500-mile upgrades
Kyle Olsen is a points and miles reporter at TPG. Since the age of 16, he has been pursuing elite status, visiting 75 countries across six continents. His passion for travel began with his own business which he started at age 13. He is now an expert at maximizing points, miles, and elite status across all major programs.
July 12, 2022
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2 min read
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On Tuesday afternoon, American Airlines alerted AAdvantage elite members via email that a companion on the same reservation will start receiving priority-based, waitlisted upgrades on select routes from Thursday, July 14. Previously, these would require 500-mile upgrades — but we now know that these will be discontinued in just two days.
American first announced that it would be phasing out 500-mile upgrades in February though a precise timeline wasn't given.
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By the end of the month, AAdvantage members with unused 500-mile upgrades will receive 250 Loyalty Points per upgrade. However, members who purchased these upgrade certificates have already been offered their choice of a refund, travel credit, Loyalty Points or bonus AAdvantage miles in return.
Related: Cash, miles or status: TPG analyzes reader’s options for his 500-mile American upgrades
Bottom line
Starting Thursday, all American elite members with a single companion on their record locator will be eligible for space-available upgrades that are processed in order of elite status level. And 500-mile upgrades will be fully phased out by the end of this month.
These upgrades are valid on American marketed and operated domestic flights (including Hawaii) and flights between the U.S. and Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members will remain eligible for complimentary upgrades on Alaska Airlines.
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Featured image by (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
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Apply for Citi Premier® Card
at Citi's secure site
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro Offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account openingEarn 80,000 ThankYou® points60,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$95Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent, Good
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases