You Can Now Instantly Upgrade Your Seat on American Airlines Using Miles

American Airlines has introduced a new feature allowing travelers to use their AAdvantage miles for immediate cabin upgrades—without phone calls or waitlists. The new offering, called Instant Upgrade, lets eligible passengers confirm an upgrade to higher cabins—such as Premium Economy or Business—directly through the American Airlines website. The feature is now live for both cash and mileage payments, with app functionality for mileage redemptions coming soon.

When available, the upgrade is confirmed instantly, and no co-payment is required when using miles, according to the airline.

With the launch of Instant Upgrade, American is also phasing out its older mileage upgrade award process. New upgrade requests using the traditional mileage upgrade award chart will no longer be accepted after August 12, 2025, at midnight Central Time. American says all previously confirmed mileage upgrade awards will continue to be honored, and waitlisted requests will still be processed. Travelers can also modify existing mileage upgrade bookings until 11:59 p.m. CT on August 11, 2025. After that time, no changes will be permitted, though upgrades requested before the cutoff may still be used for travel through the end of 2025, the company said.

The move is part of a broader trend among major carriers to simplify the upgrade process and enhance flexibility for loyalty program members.