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American makes domestic premium economy upgrades available to all elites

May 05, 2022
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2 min read
American Airlines 777-200 Premium Economy
American makes domestic premium economy upgrades available to all elites
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Editor's Note

American clarified to The Points Guy that premium economy upgrades have been available to Gold and Platinum elites since these members <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-airlines-complimentary-elite-upgrades/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became eligible for automatic complimentary upgrades</a> in March.&nbsp;

If you're an American Airlines AAdvantage Gold or Platinum elite, we have good news for you.

AEffective immediately, all AAdvantage elite members are now eligible for complimentary premium economy upgrades on Alaska and Hawaii routes. Previously, these upgrades were only available to upper-tier Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members. This news was first reported by View from the Wing.

Premium economy is available on all of American's Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft, which operate some flights to Anchorage, Honolulu and Maui. Premium economy differs from American's extra-legroom economy seating Main Cabin Extra, and features a product similar to American's domestic first-class recliner seats. Other perks include elevated meals and Casper bedding.

American Airlines 777-200 Premium Economy
(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)

AAdvantage elites will be upgraded at the gate if seats are available before boarding. In practice, agents should ask before upgrading a customer to a premium economy middle seat.

Related: Tricks to avoid being skipped on an American Airlines upgrade list

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Best of all, this will have no impact on upgrades to business class. Economy passengers on the standard upgrade list will still clear directly into business class if there's space available. In turn, elites are only upgraded to premium economy when there are no business class seats remaining.

This also doesn't affect American's domestic routes that offer premium economy seating but don't sell it as a separate product.

For example, American routinely flies premium economy-equipped planes from Miami International Airport (MIA) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Premium economy seats will continue to be sold as Main Cabin Extra (extra-legroom coach) on these routes, and thus free for elites at the time of booking or within 24 hours of departure, depending on your elite level.

While obviously an enhancement for elite members, it'll be interesting to see if this is a precursor to more restrictive policies on other upgrades. By standardizing these one-class upgrades for all AAdvantage elites, it's reasonable to suspect that upgrades with miles and Systemwide Upgrades (SWUs) could ultimately be limited to a single class — similar to what Delta implemented this year.

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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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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