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It just got easier to use your American Airlines AAdvantage miles to confirm an upgrade to a premium cabin. The airline has rolled out a new “Instant Upgrade” feature — and it works exactly as it sounds. You can now confirm an upgrade instantly through the AA website, and we’ll guide you through the process in a few simple steps.
New: Confirm Premium Cabin Upgrades With AAdvantage Miles
As of June 12, 2025, you can now upgrade one or multiple segments of your American Airlines itinerary using AAdvantage miles directly online. And you can do so whether you booked your ticket with cash or miles.
If you’re eligible for an upgrade, you’ll see the offer on the American Airlines website. For example, on an itinerary between Wilmington (ILM) and Detroit (DTW), there’s an option to upgrade from Main Cabin to First Class, with the ability to pay in either cash or miles. The option to use miles like this is what’s new here.
Just like with the cash option, your upgrade is confirmed immediately at checkout. So if I choose to upgrade one (or both) segments of my ILM–DTW itinerary, I’ll be instantly confirmed in First Class and can pick my new seat immediately. There's no waiting for the mileage upgrade to clear, like with the soon-to-be-defunct mileage upgrade award chart (more on that shortly).
And on top of that, there’s no cash copay. The instant mileage upgrade price includes all taxes and fees.
Related: The Complete Guide to Earning American Airlines Miles and Loyalty Points
Should you confirm an upgrade with AA miles?
As with any new mileage redemption option, the devil is in the details. So let’s revisit the ILM–DTW itinerary to see if it’s worth confirming an instant upgrade with AAdvantage miles. At first glance, the answer is probably no.
That’s mainly due to the gap between the upgrade pricing and what American is currently charging for a new mileage ticket. It would cost me 27,400 miles to upgrade the Wilmington to Chicago segment and another 14,700 miles to upgrade the Chicago to Detroit leg. That brings the total to 42,100 miles (per person) for two upgrades.
If I really wanted to fly this itinerary in domestic First, I’d be better off canceling and rebooking outright for just 27,000 miles per person. I'd save a lot of AAdvantage miles this way.
But what I like about this feature, though, is that if I were flying an itinerary with multiple segments, and I was okay with coach on one leg but not so okay with coach on the other, I could instantly confirm an upgrade on the latter using miles. And it might be cheaper to do this than rebook or pay for a First Class ticket outright.
That flexibility is pretty valuable for travelers who have a healthy mileage balance and don't want to pay cash for an upgrade, or for AAdvantage elites who don't want to gamble on a complimentary upgrade on a longer flight.
The existing mileage upgrade award chart is going away
If you have been around the block a time or two, this new feature might seem similar to something American Airlines already offers. And you would be right. American Airlines currently has a mileage upgrade award chart that lets you waitlist for an upgrade, but it's going away.
Effective August 12, 2025, the mileage upgrade chart will be retired in favor of the new instant upgrade feature. But if you already have a mileage upgrade request in place, American will continue working to confirm any existing waitlisted upgrades.
Final Thoughts
American Airlines just introduced a new way to use your miles, and while it might feel familiar, there’s some nuance. As of June 12, 2025, you can now use your AAdvantage miles to instantly confirm an upgrade to a premium cabin directly on American’s website.
But before you pull the trigger, take a minute to compare your options. Look at the cost of upgrading versus canceling and rebooking, or even just paying for First Class or Premium Economy all the way through. That way, you can make sure you're getting the best deal.
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