How do I upgrade my American after booking?

Request an upgrade
  1. Log in to aa.com and make sure you have systemwide upgrades available in your AAdvantage® account.
  2. When booking your flight on aa.com, look for the Systemwide upgrades link to find flights with upgrade seats available.
  3. Call your AAdvantage® status service desk to confirm your upgrade.




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Start by contacting your airline after booking to see if there are any paid upgrades available. If you're out of luck there, you can try again at the check-in desk. If it's another no, you still have a chance.

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Unlike other airlines, AA doesn't restrict cheap fare classes from being upgraded. Even basic economy fares can be upgraded as long as you have AAdvantage elite status. The only flights exempt from systemwide upgrades are award tickets, government or military fares and codeshare flights.

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Upgrade with AAdvantage miles For domestic flights within the 48 contiguous states, an upgrade from discount economy to premium economy will cost 15,000 AAdvantage miles plus $75. On long international flights, that same discount-to-premium economy upgrade could cost you 25,000 miles plus $350.

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It depends on the airline you're flying with, but it is generally cheaper to upgrade to business class at the airport than it is to book a business class ticket from the outset.

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Economy passengers, including those with basic economy fares, can purchase a priority boarding add-on to enter the plane with Group 4. You can't purchase this upgrade during the initial booking process, so you'll need to add it during check-in, online or at the airport. How many boarding groups on American Airlines?

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Therefore, before a flight starts boarding, you can check with a gate agent to see if this scenario is playing out on your flight. And if so, tell them that you're interested in paying for an upgrade. For a final try, if that also fails, you can ask the lead flight attendant or flight attendant at the boarding door.

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Initially, passengers can contact their airline post-booking a flight to check for any paid upgrade availability. The next best option is to ask at the check-in desk of your flight. If all else fails, don't give up just yet! There are almost always passengers in business or first class who fail to make their flight.

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It isn't worth paying 15,000 AAdvantage miles plus $75 to upgrade most domestic flights. But, it might be worth considering paying this to upgrade from economy to lie-flat business class on a redeye transcontinental flight.

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Main cabin isn't always the cheapest way to fly on American Airlines — as you may be able to save by booking a basic economy ticket. However, it might be worth paying a little more to get the flexibility to change or cancel your flight, select your seat and avoid being in the last boarding group.

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It depends on a variety of factors, including the airline, the route, the time of year, and the availability of seats. In some cases, upgrading at the airport can be a cost-effective way to experience Business Class perks without paying full price. In other cases, it may end up being more expensive.

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Delta – Lots of Skymiles, or Money
Hot tip: Consider booking your Delta flight using Virgin Atlantic miles for amazing value. When it comes to ease, Delta is now one of the easiest airlines for using miles to upgrade, but that doesn't mean they're one of the best.

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On almost every flight, the passengers who get upgrades are either the ones who pay for them (whether in dollars or miles) in advance or frequent fliers with elite status who receive complimentary upgrades as part of their perks. There are very few exceptions, so don't expect to score a free upgrade by just asking.

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You can buy Main Cabin Extra through Reservations, select travel agencies and airport self-service kiosks. If you have a credit card stored in your AAdvantage® profile, you can also buy on our mobile app.

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You can upgrade to Premium Comfort Class or Business Class while checking in online. You can also arrange an upgrade to Premium Comfort Class or Business Class at the self-service kiosk at the airport, even after you've checked in.

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