How do I upgrade to first class on American Airlines?

[Samual Garciya]

Experiencing a higher class in American Airlines with luxurious amenities and thoughtful hosting, is an ecstatic feeling! And, you don’t want to miss that, right? This carrier provides many ways to upgrade from standard class to higher class. However, the upgrade depends on your AAdvantage status tier for American Airlines first class upgrades. Below is the detailed guide by WingsTravo to upgrading on your next American Airlines.

The Upgrade Priority

Below are the main priority upgrades you can go through or call at 800-433-7300 or +1-888-413-6950 for details.

·         Miles or cash upgrades

·         Systemwide upgrades (SWUs) offered to super-elites.

·         Complimentary upgrades

AA Business Extra

In order to upgrade in AA, there are miles and cash options for all of the passengers. However, there’s a hierarchy with elite status seat.

·         AAdvantage ConciergeKey members

·         Executive Platinum members

·         Platinum Pro members

·         Platinum members

·         Gold members

What are the ways to upgrade in American Airlines?

There are four major ways to upgrade in American Airlines consecutively. There are listed below:

Miles and cash upgrades

Miles and cash upgrades are one of the popular choices amongst passengers to obtain seat upgrades in American Airlines. Also, the flight upgrade depends on availability and you need to adhere to the priority in case you are placed in a waitlist. It is also important to note that you can only use miles if you have a paid revenue ticket. In case you have a discounted fare class except Y in economy, P in premium economy or I in business class, you'll have to pay a copay to upgrade which might range from $75 to $550. However, mileage requirements are quite reasonable ranging from 5000 to 25,000 miles even for long-haul routes. You can also redeem American Airlines upgrade to first class after purchase of a ticket with the copayment.

Systemwide Upgrades

You can only be able to use Systemwide Upgrade or SWU when you reach 175, 000 Loyalty Points which is the tier between Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum. You can choose two SWUs from the list of benefits with more unlocked after 250,000, 400,000, 550,000 and many more. You can use this upgrade method for American Airlines first class upgrades. SWUs are priority one with miles and cash upgrades. Also, it depends on your elite status.

Complimentary Upgrades

When you have AAdvantage status, you are automatically eligible for complimentary upgrades on all classes of flights including destinations within North America. It is applicable on eligible American Airlines operated and marketed flights. With Complimentary Upgrades, you are allowed 1 companion within the same flight. This is priority three on the waitlist which means this is for passengers who are requesting miles or SWUs will be upgraded to business/first class. Also, all AAdvantage status members will be allowed to upgrade on AAdvantage award tickets.

Business Extra is the final and lesser-known upgrade in American Airlines. The program is specifically for small and mid-size businesses. It’s one of the perks includes US domestic, international one-way and international one-way discounted fares upgrade vouchers. These classes of flight can be achieved by earning 650 points, 1,100 points, and 3,100 points respectively. Businesses can bring them in use for any colleague's business travel. It is important to note that you can earn 1 point per $1 spent on travel with American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, and Japan Airlines. It is a great opportunity for businesses to use this upgrade method apart from miles and SWUs. The higher your elite status, the better chance you can surpass the waitlist. If you require AA upgrade to first class, it’s a great way to achieve the same.

How much does it cost to upgrade to first class on American Airlines?

There might be some particular charges for the upgrade in American Airlines that includes copay and miles for any higher class of travel such as first class. However, you have to look for American Airlines first-class upgrade cost. However, majorly you will need to earn some miles to achieve the AAdvantage Status. For details, you can go to the official website of American Airlines.

 

If you are looking for more information on AA upgrades to first class, you can go through our WingsTravo website. We are also available through telephonic conversation. For that, you can call us at 800-433-7300 or+1-888-413-6950.