dharmabum1

I'm flying on miles with American Airlines. I used 100k which normally would provide a business class seat. Due to the busy season this gets me a coach seat. Business would normally cost 90k. Is there a way to upgrade if space is available. Whats the best way to go about it? Do you throw yourself at the gate attendant. Can you pay in dollars if you dont have another 80k miles to upgrade? Thanks

jody

I can't quite figure out what you are saying. I just bought the cheapest ticket on American I could find to London..and then I called and gave 25,000 miles and $250.00 for a 1 way upgrade.. The total was under $700.00.
What is the busy season? we are going in October and I can handle coach on the way home.

As far as I know the only way to upgrade on American is 25,000 miles plus $250.00 per segment.

Patrick

I guess I don't get the purchase part of your ticket. Are you saying you needed the ticket "last minute" and that's why it cost 100,000 for coach? I just did 2 plan ahead tickets for next summer -- the "busy season" on AA, both free business class tickets from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome with long stopovers in New York and in Madrid, then home from Paris to Miami. The cost a total of 90,000 each.

I know that jody's information is correct, but I'm not sure if you can upgrade that way from an already free FF ticket. You need to call American and ask -- that's the easiest and only way you'll get a definite answer.

Patrick

Ah yes, I looked at the chart and now I understand. What you did was a ticket that allows you go anytime regardless if the "usual" FF seats are already taken or not, so that's why a coach ticket is 100,000. Wow. I'm glad I plan ahead!!!

dharmabum1

Yes, Patrick thats it! How do you upgrade from that? Can you pay...or do they just take your miles and smile?
I'm paying business class miles for a coach seat. Not really fair now is it.

Intrepid1

Whatever you do, please do NOT present yourself at the checkin counter or at the gate with one of these "women in tears" or "hubby is so stressed out" routines and begging for an upgrade...or if you do, please get in line BEHIND the rest of us as this "behavior" is so fifth world!!!

Patrick: admit it..you're as anal as the rest of us who plan trips a full year in advance but it's days like this when it all seems worthwhile.

sockboy

You paid the extra miles to get a seat on a plane that doesn't have any award seats left. Your only option to travel in business for the same number of points is to book on a flight that still has award availability - that means booking well in advance. There are only so many seats on each flight that "qualify" for the lesser amount of points. Are you flexible with your dates? If so, you might be able to find regular award business class availability on another date.

AAFrequentFlyer

Your <b>only</b> chance to upgrade is to redeposit the miles ($100 fee), and take out a business award <b>IF</b> available for the dates you want.

There is no other way to upgrade an award ticket, PERIOD.

You can always hope for op-up, but that's a long shot.

AAFrequentFlyer

Just in case you decide to try to &quot;upgrade&quot;:

1 - call AAdvantage desk and secure a business award FIRST. Put it on hold.

2 - ONLY then release your original economy booking, pay $100 to redeposit the miles and finally book your held res.

This could be done with the same agent.

Gardyloo

Can I complicate the subject further by asking where you're going and from where? Reason being, there's an alternate award program that <i>might</i> be a more effective way of using your miles. American is a member of the <b>one</b>world alliance, and OW has an award program that's based on distance flown, rather than just point-to-point trips. For instance, if you're traveling from the US east coast to, say, Italy, you could fly JFK-London (American) then London-Barcelona (British) then Barcelona-London (Iberia) then back to the US (AA) all in business class and all for 90K miles. If you're using AA, you have to use 2 other OW members on the trip (total 3); however if you don't use AA it's just 2, but you can't fly BA between the USA and London, so you'd have to use another OW member (Iberia, Finnair, Aer Lingus) transatlantic. Sounds complicated, but it's not that difficult. The you would need to do as AAFF says, hold the awards, redeposit your miles and take your $100 medicine, then re-use them on the new itin.

Look at the AAdvantage program details on &quot;partner awards&quot; on the AA website - the <b>one</b>world listings are linked there.

Of course you could also look for award availability on other partners too; be creative on routings and you might get lucky.

Gardyloo

Correction, I said Italy. Last time I checked Barcelona was in some other country. <s>Italy.</s> <b>Spain.</b>

Patrick

&quot;Patrick: admit it..you're as anal as the rest of us who plan trips a full year in advance but it's days like this when it all seems worthwhile.&quot;

I'll freely admit it with one minor adjustment. Change that first line to &quot;more anal than the rest of us. . .&quot;