Originally Posted by
rabble
The cost of upgrades on the south america routes are so high that it makes more sense to buy an evip upgrade off of somebody than do the miles / cash upgrade. They cost around $400 buying them off somebody. If you say the 25,000 miles have a value of only 1 cent per mile it's another $250. So using miles / cost it's $400 for evip vs $600 "cost" for the upgrade route.
That of course assumes you can buy an evip for the going rate, and have the time / energy to track down buying one on the gray market.
Keep in mind that eVIPs may not be bought or sold. If AA finds out that you bought an eVIP, you may lose your upgrade or be forced to pay the difference between a Y vs J ticket. The person you buy it from may also lose miles or have their AAdvantage account frozen.