At least on paper, upgrades are one of the best perks of airline elite status, and if you’re traveling with someone, then companion upgrades are also kind of important (after all, it’s not exactly ideal to leave your spouse in economy).
Anyway, in this post I’d like to talk a bit about how American’s companion upgrade policy works, both when it comes to complimentary upgrades, and also when it comes to upgrades using other instruments, like systemwide upgrades.
Complimentary American elite companion upgrades
American Airlines offers AAdvantage elite members complimentary upgrades when traveling within North America. This doesn’t just apply to the elite member, but also applies to one travel companion. How exactly does this work?
- If you’re traveling on the same reservation as your companion, the upgrade request should automatically be made (just make sure you only have one companion, or else you’ll have to split the record); if you’re traveling on separate reservations, you have to contact American Airlines to link your reservations
- The companion will clear their upgrade based on your priority, whether in advance of the flight, or at the airport; this correct priority is applied automatically, so there’s no manual intervention required
- If a single upgrade seat opens up in advance, note that you’ll be skipped on the upgrade waitlist if you have a companion
As a reminder, complimentary AAdvantage elite upgrades are prioritized as follows:
Is American’s elite companion upgrade benefit fair?
American actually only rolled out complimentary elite companion upgrades in 2022, so they’re still a relatively new aspect of the AAdvantage program.
On the surface, unlimited complimentary companion upgrades sounds like a positive. After all, sometimes you travel with a loved one or friend, and it’s nice to be able to treat them to a more comfortable experience as well.
The catch is that first class upgrades are a zero sum game. American has gotten much better at selling first class seats, leaving a lot fewer seats for upgrades. Companion upgrades are probably good for the highest priority elites (Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members with high Loyalty Points totals), but they’re probably not great for most other people.
For example, say you have two first class seats remaining on a flight, and:
- The first person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 250,000 Loyalty Points and a companion
- The second person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 240,000 Loyalty Points and no companion
- The third person on the upgrade waitlist is an Executive Platinum with 230,000 Loyalty Points and no companion
In this case, the Executive Platinum and a companion would clear the upgrade, leaving two other Executive Platinum members in coach. That’s not a system everyone is a fan of, though it goes both ways. On the next itinerary, the top Executive Platinum on the list may end up in economy when a Concierge Key clears with a companion.
What about systemwide upgrade priority for companions?
Through the American AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards program it’s possible to earn systemwide upgrades, which can be used to upgrade flights globally. This is different than American’s complimentary upgrade program within North America.
There are often questions about how upgrade priority works when using systemwide upgrades, so let me clarify that:
- If you use a systemwide upgrade for a companion on the same flight you’re traveling on, they’ll receive your higher upgrade priority, even if not on the same reservation
- If you just gift a systemwide upgrade to someone else, and they use it for a flight you’re not traveling on, then they won’t receive your higher upgrade priority
Bottom line
American Airlines elite members receive free companion elite upgrades within North America. This is useful for those situations where you’re traveling with someone, though the catch is that a companion upgrade may lead to another elite member not being upgraded. Generally companions have the same upgrade priority as the elite member, assuming they’re traveling with them. If there are any questions about companion upgrades that I missed, please let me know.
What do you make of American’s companion upgrade policy?
