AA SWU and Stopovers.

AA SWU and Stopovers.

I've reviewed the AA literature online and performed a Google search but have not been successful. An AA Executive Platinum line agent informed me of the following scenarios in relation to the use of SWU:

1) LHR/JFK/LAX on the same PNR/ticket, with a stopover in JFK of more than 24h: Only 1 SWU is required to upgrade both segments

2) LHR/JFK/LAX on the same PNR/ticket, with a stopover in JFK of less than 24h: Only 1 SWU is required to upgrade both segments

3) LHR/DFW/PEK on the same PNR/ticket, with a stopover in DFW of less than 24h: Only 1 SWU is required to upgrade both segments

4) LHR/DFW/PEK on the same PNR/ticket, with a stopover in DFW of more than 24h: 2 SWU is required to upgrade both segments

I've asked the agent to point me to the section of the AA website, where this rule is documented but she was unable to advise.

Can anyone else please confirm/corroborate through personal experience or documentation on AA literature that supports the use of SWU in scenarios 1 - 4 above. Thank you.

P.S: I've also posted this question today on Flyertalk. I'll update this forum with the most pertinent responses so that the knowledge can be shared.

TRB,

My experience is also the same as you regarding the AA Excutive Platinum line.I say call again and get a different agent and either no or more wrong infomation regarding the use of SWU,S.

One AA SWU is good for upgrades on up to three segments in one direction on one PNR/ticket.  This applies irrespective of the stopover time between each of the segments.  So in each of your scenarios above, you require only one SWU.  Put another way, you were told correct information on each of (1), (2) and (3) but you were told incorrect information on (4).

There's a fairly clear wiki on Flyertalk which is what I read when I had a similar question.

Thank you Yarki!

Could you please provide the URL for that Flyertalk wiki. Flyertalk is is an absolute nightmare to navigate!

Could you please swap:

"." with <dot>

when you cut and paste. Thank you!

jridge has posted a response on Flyertalk in relation to my question, which I believe hits it on the head.

I quote, "...you should find that it is one fare basis for LHR-DFW and another fare basis for DFW-PEK. In short, your LHR-DFW-PEK trip is the combination of LHR-DFW + DFW-PEK components; it is not fared as LHR-PEK with a stopover in DFW. Stop + change in fare basis means one SWU for each."

So basically the fare basis is the driver. AA does not offer a LHR/PEK fare. Such fares would be a construction of two fare basis; LHR/DFW and DFW/PEK. Therefore 1 SWU cannot be used. 

That makes perfect sense to me. Now its a matter of testing it out.

Yarkis is this your experience or have you, like me, always purchased tickets on discrete fare basis?

I flew LHR JFK MIA SCL and then SCL DFW NYC LHR with a stopover in MIA on the way down and a stopover in NYC on the way back.  It is probably quite likely that it was sold as one fare LHR SCL and I chose one that was "forced" through NYC.  I have heard of people getting the SWU applied even for routes that are apparently on different fare bases though; my understanding is that the computer doesn't "price" the SWU but rather the agent does, so provided it looks OK to the agent then chances are you will get away with it.

The guide I was referring to turned out not to be on Flyertalk but the FlyerGuide wiki for AA upgrades: http://flyerguide.com/Upgrades_%28AA%29#Systemwide_Upgrades_.28SWU.29

It was useful to me because I had domestic legs on my itinerary and the bit about the way in which SWUs cleared if on waitlist was pertinent; if you are doing international/international you may not find it as helpful if there is doubt over the 3 segment rule.

Thank you Yarki!