Originally Posted by number_6

The instant upgrade fares are highly volatile, so hard to predict what route is a bargain on any specific date. But it is definitely tied to demand, which usually means leisure routes can be cheap (hence routes like MCO-ORD-HNL show up).

If timing it right, it is possible to earn 1400 SCs in a week and that gives 2 years of WP and 1 year of SG status (or about AUD 700 per year total cost -- astonishing; makes the OWE way to earn it look profligate). The interesting aspect is that AA almost always has some relatively cheap instant upgrade fares -- even in good years when the flights are full. Definitely good data mining material.