American Airlines offers various avenues for upgrading your flight experience, from redeeming miles to accepting paid offers. Elite members may even snag complimentary upgrades on eligible North American routes. However, for top-tier elites and AAdvantage Million Milers, systemwide upgrades present a unique opportunity. But Can I Use Systemwide Upgrades On Award Travel? This guide delves into the intricacies of American Airlines systemwide upgrades, outlining their uses, how to acquire them, and crucially, their limitations regarding award travel.
Understanding American Airlines Systemwide Upgrades
A systemwide upgrade allows you to elevate a paid fare to the next class of service, one-way, for up to three segments. The crucial factor is that your journey must include at least one flight marketed by American Airlines. These upgrades are applicable on:
- Flights marketed and operated by American Airlines.
- Transatlantic flights marketed and operated by British Airways.
- Transatlantic flights operated by British Airways but marketed by American Airlines.
An example of a business class seat that could be obtained with a systemwide upgrade. Systemwide upgrades are not applicable to award tickets.
Specifically, on American Airlines flights, a systemwide upgrade can facilitate the following:
- Business to first class.
- Economy or premium economy to business on a three-cabin aircraft.
- Economy to first on domestic flights (two-cabin aircraft).
- Economy to business on short-haul international flights (two-cabin aircraft).
For transatlantic British Airways flights, upgrades can be applied as follows:
- Business to first class.
- Premium economy to business.
- Economy to premium economy.
Crucially, systemwide upgrades are exclusively for published fare tickets. You cannot use them to upgrade AAdvantage award tickets, complimentary tickets, military or government fares, opaque fares, infant tickets, or extra seats. This answers the central question: no, you cannot use systemwide upgrades on award travel.
Earning Systemwide Upgrades
The Loyalty Point Rewards program offers a pathway to acquiring systemwide upgrades. These upgrades are offered as a choice at specific Loyalty Point milestones each qualification period:
- 175,000 Loyalty Points: Two systemwide upgrades.
- 250,000 Loyalty Points: Two systemwide upgrades.
- 400,000 Loyalty Points: One systemwide upgrade.
- 550,000 Loyalty Points: One systemwide upgrade.
- 750,000 Loyalty Points: One systemwide upgrade.
- 1,000,000 Loyalty Points: Four systemwide upgrades.
- 3,000,000 Loyalty Points: Six systemwide upgrades.
- 5,000,000 Loyalty Points: Ten systemwide upgrades.
The American Airlines AAdvantage program lets members earn points towards upgrades. These points can be earned towards systemwide upgrades, but are not applicable to award tickets.
AAdvantage members with Million Miler status also earn systemwide upgrades at specific milestones:
- 2 million miles: Four systemwide upgrades.
- Each subsequent 1 million miles: Four additional systemwide upgrades.
Systemwide Upgrade Expiration
Systemwide upgrades typically expire one year after being deposited into your account. However, starting March 1, 2025, they will be valid through the status membership year. For example, upgrades earned during the qualification year ending February 28, 2025, will be valid through March 31, 2026. Additionally, American Airlines is extending the expiration date of systemwide upgrades earned between March 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025, through March 31, 2026. While the upgrade must be confirmed before the expiration date, the actual travel can occur afterward.
Utilizing Systemwide Upgrades
Systemwide upgrades are typically used in three ways:
- Booking flights with readily available systemwide upgrade inventory and immediately applying the upgrade.
- Setting up alerts for flights already booked that lack current systemwide availability and applying the upgrade once availability arises.
- Joining the waitlist for upgrades on already booked long-haul flights.
Finding Systemwide Availability
Identifying systemwide availability can be challenging. American Airlines advises checking for a “Systemwide upgrades” link on the American Airlines website’s flight results page after logging in.
A systemwide upgrade availability can be found on AA.com. Remember, however, that award tickets are not eligible for systemwide upgrades.
ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) offers a more streamlined approach. A paid membership allows you to search for upgrade availability and set alerts. The relevant fare buckets for systemwide upgrades are:
- Business to first (three-cabin American Airlines flights): A
- Other upgrades (American Airlines flights): C
- Business to first (British Airways flights): Z
- Premium economy to business (British Airways flights): U
- Economy to premium economy (British Airways flights): P
Requesting a Systemwide Upgrade
You can now redeem systemwide upgrade certificates online. To request an upgrade, log into your American Airlines account, click “Rewards,” and then “Systemwide upgrade.” Then, select “Use systemwide upgrades” and enter your details.
While online redemption is available, calling the reservations line might still be necessary for certain trips, such as those departing from airports requiring premium taxes, involving British Airways transatlantic flights, or with three or more passengers.
If upgrade space is unavailable, you can join the waitlist for American Airlines-operated flights. Waitlist priority is determined by:
- Status level
- Upgrade type
- 12-month rolling Loyalty Points
- Booking code
- Date and time of the waitlist request
If your upgrade doesn’t clear before check-in, you’ll be added to the airport upgrade standby list.
Additional Considerations
- Earning Miles: You’ll earn miles and Loyalty Points based on your originally booked fare class, not the upgraded cabin.
- Transferability: You can use your systemwide upgrades for others, even if you are not traveling with them, but selling or advertising them for sale is prohibited.
In Conclusion
While American Airlines systemwide upgrades offer a valuable opportunity to enhance your travel experience, remember that can I use systemwide upgrades on award travel is a question with a negative answer. These upgrades are exclusively for paid fares. To maximize your chances of a successful upgrade, target high-frequency routes during off-peak periods and prioritize the longest segment of your itinerary. Using tools like ExpertFlyer and understanding waitlist priorities can also significantly improve your odds.
