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Reciprocal upgrades have been available to American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan elites since 2021, and as a very recent change to the upgrade rules has improved the upgrade benefit for Alaska’s flyers, this seems like a good time to recap how these upgrades work.
Alaska Airlines elites upgrading on American Airlines
Main Cabin Extra (extra legroom seating)
- Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold elites can select Main Cabin Extra seats at the time of booking.
- Alaska Airlines MVP members can select Main Cabin Extra seats in the 24 hours leading up to their scheduled departure time.
Seat selection for all eligible Alaska Airlines members is available via the American Airlines website (while booking or via the ‘manage trips’ page) as long as their Mileage Plan number is associated with the booking.
There are two further things to note:
Firstly, Mileage Plan elites can select a Main Cabin Extra seat for themselves and one companion traveling on the same reservation.
Secondly, Mileage Plan elites booking a Basic Economy fare cannot select Main Cabin Extra seating on American Airlines.
First Class
- All Alaska Mileage Plan elites are eligible for complimentary upgrades to First Class on American Airlines on routes within the United States and on routes from the United States to Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, and Central America.
- The ‘space available upgrades’ available to MVP Gold 100k and MVP Gold 75K elites can clear up to 72 hours before departure and these elites sit just behind American’s Platinum Pro elites in the upgrade hierarchy.
- The ‘space available upgrades’ available to MVP Gold elites can clear up to 48 hours before departure and these elites sit just behind American’s Platinum elites in the upgrade hierarchy.
- The ‘space available upgrades’ available to MVP members can clear up to 24 hours before departure and these elites sit just behind American’s Gold elites in the upgrade hierarchy.
- Within their priority level, elites are ordered by the fare class they have booked and then by the time they booked their fare.
- One companion traveling on the same booking as an MVP Gold 100K, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold elites is also eligible for a complimentary upgrade to First Class. A companion traveling with a MVP member is not eligible for a complimentary upgrade.
- **NEW** As has been reported by View from the Wing, bookings in Basic Economy are now upgradeable for all Mileage Plan elites.*
*This update went live from the middle of March 2024.
American Airlines elites upgrading on Alaska Airlines
Premium Class (extra legroom seating)
- AAdvantage Concierge Key and Executive Platinum elites can select Premium Class seats at the time of booking.
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Platinum elites can select Premium Class seats at the time of booking when booking Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, or N fare classes. All other fare classes only entitle Platinum Pro and Platinum elites to select Premium Class seats in the 72 hours leading up to their scheduled departure time.
- AAdvantage Gold members can select Premium Class seats at the time of booking when booking Y, B, or H fare classes. All other fare classes only entitle Gold elites to select Premium Class seats in the 48 hours leading up to the scheduled departure time.
- American Airlines elites are not eligible for Premium Class seating when booking ‘saver’ fares (Alaska’s equivalent of Basic Economy).
Premium Class seating for all eligible American Airlines elites is available via the Alaska Airlines website but the process is a little convoluted.
First, make a booking with your AAdvantage number in the reservation and make payment. After the ticket has been issued by Alaska (usually within 1 – 2 minutes), view your reservation via the airline’s ‘manage reservation’ option and if you’re eligible for Premium Class seating, you should be able to select the extra legroom seats.
If you’re not eligible to reserve Premium Class seats at the time of booking, you’ll, have to wait until your window opens closer to departure.
First Class
- All AAdvantage elites are eligible for complimentary upgrades to First Class when traveling on Alaska Airlines.
- Concierge Key, Executive Platinum, and Platinum Pro elites will have their upgrade requests considered in the 120 hours leading up to their departure time, and these elites sit just behind Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 75k elites in the upgrade hierarchy.
- AAdvantage Platinum elites will have their upgrade requests considered in the 72 hours leading up to their departure time, and these elites sit just behind Alaska Airlines MVP Gold elites in the upgrade hierarchy.
- AAdvantage Gold elites will have their upgrade requests considered in the 48 hours leading up to their departure time, and these elites sit just behind Alaska Airlines MVP members in the upgrade hierarchy.
- Upgrade priority is decided first on the fare class booked and then by the time and date a upgrade request was made.
- AAdvantage elites can upgrade 1 companion traveling on the same flight and on the same reservation.
- AAdvantage elites booking Alaska’s “saver” fares (Basic Economy) are not eligible for complimentary upgrades.*
*Given that American Airline now offers complimentary upgrades to Alaska Airlines elites who book a Basic Economy fare, it will be interesting to see how long this restriction lasts.
Bottom Line
American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have now been offering elite flyers reciprocal upgrades for approximately three years and along the way the rules have been changed and things have improved for elite members of both airline programs.
The latest rule change that we’ve seen gives Alaska Airlines elites access to complimentary upgrades on American Airlines when booking Basic Economy fares, so we now have to wait to see if Alaska Airlines reciprocates that bit of goodwill.
What’s the trick for this? I’m an Executive Platinum with American Airlines. Every time I try to book a ticket on Alaska Airlines, it doesn’t give me the option to select a seat in the One World section. It’s not a matter of no seats available as I’m selecting flights in the future where I can see almost every seat available except these One World seats.
I have tried booking with both my Alaska # (where I have no status) as well as my AAdvantage number which is already on my account. What’s the trick to make this work? I had to call in the last time and the agent manually moved me into the One World section.
Also, I can’t book a Premium seat without being charged at the time of booking.
My understanding is that this should work automatically. I gave up my EXP status a few years ago (in favor of BA Gold) so I can’t try to reproduce the issue you’re having, but based on how this kind of thing works on most other airlines, the Alaska website should be recognizing your status from your AA FF# and affording you the benefits of that status. There should be no trick to this. Did you ask the agent that helped you if he/she knew what was going on and if they could see your status in their systems?
Also, and just out of interest, how long ago did you have this issue? (just wondering if it was teething problems in early April or if this is still an ongoing issue for you)
Hi Ziggy,
The agent said it’s not automatic and that I would need to call in AFTER making the booking each time. (What a hassle). I just tried it now. I used a sample San Diego to Seattle route on Alaska and I already have my AAdvantage # in the system with Alaska and it doesn’t work.
It only allows me to upgrade charging me a fee same as if I had no status at all. So I don’t think this is working yet. The agent said it’s NOT automatic and I have to call in each time. She was able to move seats free but had to do it manually.
Hi
That sounds remarkably useless. Perhaps this will work better once Alsaka’s systems have been updated to allow companions to be upgraded?
I totally agree Ziggy. I’m not sure if this is just some bug with my account? I’d love to hear from other Executive Platinums that actually were able to select a Premium seat free at the time of booking automatically online.
As a gold for life with AA, I would like to see the free bag benefit be reciprocal as well
@earllee I’m am AA EXP and same issue today. Trying to book a flight and choose a premium seat (not first class) and I too was to be charged for that seat even though my AA number is on my account. I don’t think this works yet.
Guys. You book an Alaska reservation. Do NOT select a seat. Add your exp AA ff number. Pay for the reservation. After issuance of the ticket go back and select seats. Premium Seats will be available to select.
I’ve never gotten a free Alaska upgrade.
Yeah, fair enough. That was a lazy sentence from me. Updated now.
Do get the benefit, does an Alaska MVP Gold have to add their Alaska mileage plus plan number in their AA profile? I don’t see a place to add both frequent flyer numbers.
In other words, how will AA know I have status with Alaska? Am I forced to earn Alaska miles (add my Alaska number to my AA reservation) to use the benefits?
Yes. This works just like any other reciprocal benefit, so if you want to use the benefits given to Alaska elites, you have to use your Mileage Plan number in your booking (and so earn Alaska Miles).