--- title: "Upgrade priority on American, Delta and Alaska" description: "Which elite tier clears first on American, Delta and Alaska: clearing windows by tier, each airline's tiebreakers, and whether certificates outrank complimentary upgrades." canonical: "https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-priority" url: "https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-priority.md" date_modified: "2026-10-07T00:00:00Z" --- # Upgrade priority on American, Delta and Alaska, compared Airline upgrade priority works in layers: your status tier, the type of upgrade you are using, and a tiebreaker that is different on each airline. Higher tiers also start clearing earlier: 100 hours before departure on American for Executive Platinum, 120 on Delta for Diamond and Platinum, 120 on Alaska for Titanium and Platinum. Reviewed October 7, 2026. ## When each tier starts clearing These are complimentary upgrade windows: the earliest point before departure at which each airline starts working the list for that tier. A window opens the queue. It does not create upgrade space. Hours before departure at which complimentary upgrades start clearing, by status tier, on American, Delta and Alaska | Airline | Tier | Starts clearing | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | American | ConciergeKey | 120 hours before departure | | American | Executive Platinum | 100 hours before departure | | American | Platinum Pro | 72 hours before departure | | American | Platinum | 48 hours before departure | | American | Gold | 24 hours before departure | | Delta | Diamond | 120 hours before departure | | Delta | Platinum | 120 hours before departure | | Delta | Gold | 72 hours before departure | | Delta | Silver | 24 hours before departure | | Alaska | Titanium | 120 hours before departure | | Alaska | Platinum | 120 hours before departure | | Alaska | Gold | 72 hours before departure | | Alaska | Silver | 48 hours before departure | These windows cover complimentary upgrades. Delta's cover First and domestic Premium Select, and Delta One upgrades inside the U.S. 50 clear on the day of departure for every tier. For each airline's own page, see [the American waitlist](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-waitlist.md), [Delta upgrades](https://2lnr.com/about/dl/upgrades.md) and [Alaska upgrades](https://2lnr.com/about/as/upgrades.md). ## What breaks a tie inside a tier Two members of the same tier on the same flight are separated by factors that differ by airline. Each list below runs from the first tiebreaker to the last. ### American Tier order runs from ConciergeKey down through Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, Platinum and Gold. Inside a tier, a request backed by a systemwide or mileage upgrade clears first, then the rolling 12-month Loyalty Point total, then booking code and request time. [How the AA list is ordered](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-waitlist.md) ### Delta Medallion tier first, then the cabin you bought, Million Miler status, Travel Experience tier (Extra before Classic), Reserve American Express card, corporate ticket, Medallion Qualification Dollars earned this year, and finally the time of your request. [Delta's clearing order](https://2lnr.com/about/dl/upgrades.md) ### Alaska Status level first, then Million Miler level (3M before 2M before 1M), Atmos Rewards Summit card holders, corporate bookings, status points earned this year and last combined, and when you booked. An earlier booking ranks higher. [Alaska tie-breakers](https://2lnr.com/guides/alaska-upgrades.md) and [how the list is ordered](https://2lnr.com/about/as/upgrades.md) ## Do certificates outrank complimentary upgrades? At American and Delta, yes. At Alaska the two work on different tracks. **American:** American ranks requests by status tier, then type of upgrade, so within a tier a request backed by a systemwide or mileage upgrade clears before a complimentary one. **Delta:** Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates have higher priority than complimentary Medallion upgrades. Waitlisted certificates clear in order of Medallion tier, then the day and time the request was added. **Alaska:** Alaska's rules let a North American certificate confirm right away if space is open, and give it no list to wait on otherwise. Long-haul requests are handled separately, by status level and then request time, from 72 hours before departure, and stay off the airport waitlist. See [the certificates compared](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-certificates-compared.md). ## Priority on a partner's flights The operating airline sets the order, so the same member ranks differently on each side of the Alaska and American partnership. ### On Alaska-operated flights Atmos Titanium and Platinum members hold the top two upgrade positions, ahead of American Executive Platinum members and every lower Atmos tier. ### On American-operated flights American Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro (oneworld Emerald) come first. Atmos Platinum and Titanium rank next, as oneworld Emerald Priority, and American Platinum (oneworld Sapphire) follows them. ## Check space before you apply You cannot change your tier on the day, your tiebreakers or the airline's window. You can choose a flight where upgrade space is open, because a long list behind closed space clears nobody. 2LNR shows upgrade space by route and date on American, Delta and Alaska, and an [upgrade alert](https://2lnr.com/lp/real-time-alerts.md) tells you when a closed flight opens. 2LNR does not track United, so this page leaves United out. For United's free upgrade windows, read [how United PlusPoints work](https://2lnr.com/about/ua/pluspoints.md). ## Frequently asked questions **How does airline upgrade priority work?** In layers: your status tier, the kind of upgrade you're using, and a tiebreaker that changes by airline (Loyalty Points at American, cabin purchased at Delta, Million Miler level at Alaska). American sorts by tier first and lets a certificate beat a complimentary request inside it. Delta ranks certificates above complimentary Medallion requests. Top tiers start clearing earlier, too. **What is the Alaska upgrade priority order?** Alaska orders its upgrade list by status level, then Million Miler level, Atmos Rewards Summit card holders, corporate bookings, status points earned this year and last combined, and booking time. Titanium and Platinum members start clearing 120 hours before departure, Gold at 72 and Silver at 48. **Which elite tier clears first on American, Delta and Alaska?** The top tiers: ConciergeKey and Executive Platinum on American, Diamond and Platinum on Delta, Titanium and Platinum on Alaska. On Delta and Alaska the top two tiers start together, and each airline's list still clears the higher tier first (Diamond before Platinum, Titanium before Platinum). **Does being first on the list guarantee an upgrade?** No. The list only orders the people waiting. An upgrade clears when the airline has opened upgrade space on that flight, and an open first-class seat does not mean upgrade space is open. Your place decides who gets the space, not whether it exists. ## Sources - [Delta: Medallion upgrades](https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles/medallion-program/medallion-upgrades) Source for the 120, 72 and 24 hour windows by tier, day-of-departure Delta One upgrades, the tiebreaker order, and certificates ranking ahead of complimentary upgrades and clearing by tier then request time. (accessed October 7, 2026) - [Alaska Airlines: complimentary upgrades](https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewards/content/benefits/complimentary-upgrades/alaska-hawaiian) Source for the 120, 72 and 48 hour windows, the order the waitlist is processed in, and how North American and long-haul certificates are handled. (accessed October 7, 2026) - [Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards benefits on American](https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewards/content/partners/airlines/american-airlines/status-benefits) Source for the priority band on Alaska-operated and American-operated flights. (accessed October 7, 2026) - [One Mile at a Time: American Airlines complimentary elite upgrades](https://onemileatatime.com/guides/american-airlines-upgrades/) Independent source for the 120, 100, 72, 48 and 24 hour windows from ConciergeKey to Gold, the rolling 12-month Loyalty Point tiebreaker, and systemwide-upgrade-backed requests clearing first. Page updated January 18, 2026. (accessed October 6, 2026) - [American Airlines: upgrades for status members](https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/aadvantage-program/answers-support/upgrades-for-status-members.html) American's own page, read directly for the 100, 72, 48 and 24 hour windows and the clearing order: status tier, then type of upgrade (systemwide and mileage upgrades ahead of complimentary), then Loyalty Points earned in the last 12 months, then booking code and request time. It doesn't list ConciergeKey, so that window rests on the independent source above. (accessed October 7, 2026) American Airlines, AAdvantage, ConciergeKey, Delta, SkyMiles, Medallion, Alaska Airlines and Atmos Rewards are trademarks of their owners; 2LNR is not affiliated with or endorsed by any airline. Program details are as of October 2026 and may change; see the sources above. Related guides: [How to get upgraded](https://2lnr.com/guides/how-to-get-upgraded.md) | [Upgrade certificates compared](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-certificates-compared.md) | [AA upgrade waitlist](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-waitlist.md) | [Delta upgrades](https://2lnr.com/about/dl/upgrades.md) | [Alaska upgrade strategy](https://2lnr.com/guides/alaska-upgrades.md) ## Pick the flight with space open See upgrade space by route and date, free for the next 14 days. Pro opens all 331 days and adds an upgrade alert when a closed flight opens. [See how alerts work](https://2lnr.com/lp/real-time-alerts.md)