Last edit by: VFR
Airport Upgrade and Standby Order, Priority “PALL” List
Questions, Upgrade Anomalies, Issues, etc.
NOTE: Complimentary upgrades are now ordered based on (1) Status, (2) 12 month rolling Loyalty Points, (3) Time and date of upgrade request.Questions, Upgrade Anomalies, Issues, etc.
NOTE: As of 1 Jan 2017, your travel companion will "borrow" your PALL listing. Link.
Main PALL list codes. Passengers are ordered by code, then elite status, then other factors. Additional codes may be entered to designate other information, such as companions traveling together.
- OS# = Confirmed Economy passenger awaiting seat assignment.
- RF = Confirmed First Class passenger awaiting seat assignment.
- DSR# = Standby First Class passenger, confirmed in Economy. Usually used for involuntary downgrades of paid First passengers.
- VIP# = Passenger awaiting a SWU upgrade.
- MLG# = Passenger awaiting a mileage and copay upgrade. This may be the same priority as VIP, i.e. VIP1 = MLG1, VIP2 = MLG2, etc.
- UPG# = Confirmed Economy passenger awaiting a complimentary, or elite sticker upgrade. Within a status group, passengers are ordered by 12 month rolling loyalty points followed by time and date of upgrade request.
- RI# = Revenue involuntary standby passenger (bumped from another flight due to oversold condition or travel disruptions). Within a status group, passengers are ordered by check-in time.
- RV# = Revenue voluntary standby passenger. Within a status group, passengers are ordered by check-in time.
- RV = Non-status revenue passengers on voluntary standby, and certain staff travel.
- D% = Non-revenue standby passenger (AA employees, family, and friends), where % is an additional number code pertaining to the type of pass and not related to elite status. See the Staff Travel / Buddy Pass Thread.
- VOL = Volunteer for bump to a later flight. Passengers are ordered by time of volunteering (first come-first served).
- DG = Passenger with involuntary (or voluntary) downgrade in class-of-service.
- RL = "Flat Tire Rule" passenger missing a flight through no fault of their own or AA (L=Late, in this case). Note that in some circumstances, AA may offer a confirmed seat on a later flight instead.
- -T = Through passenger - Addition of this suffix gives priority over other passengers in the same status group, overriding normal time-based ranking. This suffix is supposed to be used for passengers connecting from another flight.
C/o sensei:
The following UPG priority levels are now in effect:
- UPG1/VIP1 Concierge Key
- UPG2/VIP2 Executive Platinum
- UPG3/VIP3 Platinum Pro
- UPG4/VIP4 Platinum
- UPG5/VIP5 Gold
- UPG/VIP No status
Revenue Standbys are cleared in the following order:
- RIT (involuntary, transit)
- RI (involuntary)
- RV (voluntary)
- RL (late)
All revenue standbys are cleared before any non-revenue standbys
Older posts have been archived to this thread.
Airport Upgrade and Standby Priority List (“PALL”) Order (master thread)
#151
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
I assume then that #s 2,3 & 4 were economy looking to get into Biz, so when #5 cleared into 1st that opened 1 Biz seat so #1 got that , had 2,3 or 4 been Biz looking for 1st then #5 wouldnt have gotten the Up I take it since there would have been someone before them in line, but 1-4 were Y looking for C , and #5 was C looking for F and the 1st person on the list looking for C-F. Thx
#152
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 470
Another flight today with 2 on the PNR (EXP + Gold). EXP #1, Gold at bottom on the list on the upgrade list at T-4.
This still has not been fixed. If the Gold was not Elite then the companion would be #2 on the list. AA really needs to fix this. Discussion here that it was fixed on Jan 1st is not true.
This still has not been fixed. If the Gold was not Elite then the companion would be #2 on the list. AA really needs to fix this. Discussion here that it was fixed on Jan 1st is not true.
I contacted the Aadvantage Desk about some upcoming flights and was told that the policy is that if your companion on the same PNR has status and you check-in for your flights online, each person will be listed for upgrades based on the their status. The only way around this is to check in at the gate and have the CSR change the default from splitting the upgrade requests and use a single account.
It appears that it is much easier if the companion does not have any status and will automatically gain the elite member's status.
#153
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 35
Hmm. Based on this thread and my experience, I would say that the policy may have changed (which i was not aware of) but the policy is not necessarily implemented in the real world.
I am EP and my wife has no status. In January I was upgraded at the airport in HKG on an SWU on a flight from HKG to LAX but she was not. Same PNR, and i requested SWU upgrades for both of us at the same time months before. She was showing about 8th on the upgrade list, way below me.
I gave her my seat, of course.
I am EP and my wife has no status. In January I was upgraded at the airport in HKG on an SWU on a flight from HKG to LAX but she was not. Same PNR, and i requested SWU upgrades for both of us at the same time months before. She was showing about 8th on the upgrade list, way below me.
I gave her my seat, of course.
#154
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SOF
Programs: A3 Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 859
Standby vs. Upgrade order (to merge)
I have a question about upcoming travel - I have a booking for First Class travel and want to use Same Day Standby for an earlier flight if can't take advantage of Same Day Confirmed Change. What I'm unsure of is if the standby list is processed before the upgrade list or not. I did a search on the forum but could not find an answer to this question. If upgrades are cleared first, then there is no point to the standby as First Class will most likely go out full. If it's the other way around, I at least have a shot.
#155
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EP, UA Gold-MM, UA 1K (former), GS (former),SPG LT Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,299
I have a question about upcoming travel - I have a booking for First Class travel and want to use Same Day Standby for an earlier flight if can't take advantage of Same Day Confirmed Change. What I'm unsure of is if the standby list is processed before the upgrade list or not. I did a search on the forum but could not find an answer to this question. If upgrades are cleared first, then there is no point to the standby as First Class will most likely go out full. If it's the other way around, I at least have a shot.
Also logically by processing upgrades first it opens up seats that could then be given to people confirmed but without a seat assignment and then to process the stand by list.
Oh and you have to be first confirmed on the flight in your ticketed cabin before you can then be upgraded.
#156
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA PLT AA 1MM
Posts: 728
I assume paid F will trump because: I have flown F as standby after being upgraded on my original flight a number of times and understood from comments of gate agents that my holding an F boarding pass was the reason I got standby space. So, if upgraded F pax are advantaged in this scenario, I can only imagine that paid F pax would be advantaged for F standby, especially now that upgrades are being held later and later. (But, then, it is an all new AA now. . . )
#157
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SOF
Programs: A3 Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 859
I believe upgrades come before standbys otherwise someone on the standby list could leapfrog a confirmed person on the flight and go from no seat to directly to first.
Also logically by processing upgrades first it opens up seats that could then be given to people confirmed but without a seat assignment and then to process the stand by list.
Oh and you have to be first confirmed on the flight in your ticketed cabin before you can then be upgraded.
Also logically by processing upgrades first it opens up seats that could then be given to people confirmed but without a seat assignment and then to process the stand by list.
Oh and you have to be first confirmed on the flight in your ticketed cabin before you can then be upgraded.
#158
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SOF
Programs: A3 Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 859
I assume paid F will trump because: I have flown F as standby after being upgraded on my original flight a number of times and understood from comments of gate agents that my holding an F boarding pass was the reason I got standby space. So, if upgraded F pax are advantaged in this scenario, I can only imagine that paid F pax would be advantaged for F standby, especially now that upgrades are being held later and later. (But, then, it is an all new AA now. . . )
#159
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EP, UA Gold-MM, UA 1K (former), GS (former),SPG LT Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,299
I don't need to be upgraded. I have a booking in First Class. I do however want to switch to an earlier flight, so if I can't utilize Same Day Confirmed Change, I can be added to the standby list. So, given that I have a first class ticket, will I have priority to the First Class cabin on the flight over people who are flying in Economy and waiting to be upgraded to First Class - that's what I want to find out.
I wish you good luck!
![Smilie](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#160
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: IAD
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 21
Upgrade request time
Clarification question for the experts...
If I am currently on the upgrade standby list using miles and copay (UPG2), and I call in now to request a SWU(VIP2) be used instead, will the time stamp of the request be updated with the current date?
In other words would I get pushed down the list because the request date would be sooner?
My scenario is that I requested to waitlist my swu upgrade on an outbound lax-syd flight, but j is sold out, and upgrade is likely not to clear. The return is waitlisted with miles and copay, and the cabin is wide open. If the outbound does not clear, the debate is whether to request the return upgrade be switched to leverage an swu instead.
Thoughts?
If I am currently on the upgrade standby list using miles and copay (UPG2), and I call in now to request a SWU(VIP2) be used instead, will the time stamp of the request be updated with the current date?
In other words would I get pushed down the list because the request date would be sooner?
My scenario is that I requested to waitlist my swu upgrade on an outbound lax-syd flight, but j is sold out, and upgrade is likely not to clear. The return is waitlisted with miles and copay, and the cabin is wide open. If the outbound does not clear, the debate is whether to request the return upgrade be switched to leverage an swu instead.
Thoughts?
#161
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC Aeroplan
Posts: 80
#162
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
#163
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
http://imgur.com/zMEzsb6
I suspect this is an agent forcing a companion on the same PNR which didn't inherit properly. My companion didn't inherit properly either, but there's only 1 seat, so I didn't care so much.
I suspect this is an agent forcing a companion on the same PNR which didn't inherit properly. My companion didn't inherit properly either, but there's only 1 seat, so I didn't care so much.
#164
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,277
Flight 202 to Boston went with an empty seat in FC today after upgrsding #1 then telling every one to board as f/c was checked in full. AA's completely fruatrating twitter response was "We know you love the upgrades and we're sorry for the empty seat today. We'll pass this on to our LAX leadership team for internal review"
#165
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,272
![Confused](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif)
Regards