American Airlines changes the confirmed upgrade process
There's no better feeling than scoring an upgrade.
In fact, upgrades are one of the top benefits of elite status. On American Airlines, top-tier Executive Platinum and invite-only Concierge Key elites are awarded four (soon to be five) systemwide upgrades each year.
These certificates can be used to confirm a one-way, one-cabin upgrade beginning at the time of booking. This includes all AA routes, including long-haul international travel, so long as there's space available.
It's no surprise then that many Executive Platinums save these certificates for the most premier routes, like AA's longest from Dallas to Hong Kong (slated to resume in 2021).
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However, finding availability might be harder next time you're ready to redeem an upgrade with AA. That's because American is making changes to the upgrade process.
Let's start with some background. When you book a flight, you're actually purchasing a seat in a given fare class, denoted by a letter ranging from A to Z. These fare classes have different meanings on different airlines. Some are dedicated to revenue (paid) tickets, some to mileage awards and others specifically to upgrades. And a few fare classes can be used for a combination of the three.
Related: The complete guide to American Airlines fare classes
As part of AA's change to the upgrade process, the Fort Worth-based carrier is adjusting how many seats are available as upgrades, according to a carrier spokesperson. The adjustment will apply to both systemwide and mileage upgrades (and Business Extra ones too).
Before this change, it was quite easy to determine if there was an upgrade available on a given AA flight. Upgrading from coach to biz required seats in the "C" fare class. For a bump from biz to Flagship First, flyers would need to find space in the "A" fare class. ("A" was also used interchangeably with a paid first-class ticket.)
If there was space in either class, then you knew that an upgrade was available. (If there wasn't, you could always waitlist an upgrade in the hopes that space opened up closer to departure.)
Now, that's changing. Going forward, even if there are seats in the "A" and "C" classes, upgrades to biz and first won't necessarily be available. A spokesperson confirmed that the carrier will only offer a subset of seats in these fare classes for upgrades. (American is adding revenue fares to the "C" class.)
You can search for space when making a booking at AA.com or by calling reservations. In addition, ExpertFlyer will and already does display the upgrade space for both the "C" (biz) and "A" (first) fare classes.
Indeed, take a look at American's New York to Los Angeles Flight 33 on Nov. 2. As shown in the below screenshot from ExpertFlyer, "A0" indicates that there are zero seats available in this first-class upgrade fare class.
If you'd like to see the seats in the "A" class available for purchase, then check "Do Not Show Interline Connections" on the Flight Availability search page. As you'll see, there are plenty of seats available for purchase in the "A" fare class.
When checking upgrade availability on AA.com, that's exactly the case — first-class upgrades are unavailable on this flight, despite seats available for purchase in the "A" fare class.
This pattern — first-class upgrades being unavailable despite seats in the "A" bucket — applied to many first-class flights that TPG checked. Although we've found instances where availability appears to have decreased, an AA spokesperson reassured TPG that "we do not expect any significant changes to upgrade availability."
Related: Guide to getting upgraded on American Airlines
AA confirmed that upgrade space will continue to be managed on a leg-by-leg basis. That means that you'll see the same space on a flight from LAX to JFK regardless of whether you've booked it as a single segment or as part of a larger itinerary (like LAX to LHR with a stop in JFK). This is in stark contrast to mileage redemptions. In recent years, AA has been transitioning to offering dynamic award availability based on your end-to-end journey.
The carrier also confirmed that there are no plans to change upgrade availability based on a traveler's elite status. United, on the other hand, has long offered its invite-only Global Services members additional upgrade space compared to other Premier members.
Either way, American's latest change is noteworthy for those looking to score an upgrade. For now, select flights offer less upgrade space than before, It's anyone's guess whether the trend will continue, but one thing is certain — make sure to double-check if an upgrade is available before you book an AA flight.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended 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.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- 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.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $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.
- Terms Apply.