<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ermdjdsj:
1. pay flexible PE fares and then upgrade with miles I need to find elsewhere in some kind of trade, e.g., Coupon Connection or the like
2. buy a Z or D fare for around $2500 (if available -- the rep on the phone told me they aren't available until 25 days before the flight, risking my landing up with nothing)
3. find a good consolidator who might get me the ticket for $2700.
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There is a new-ish upgrade route of going straight from a L, B or Y fare to Upper class for 30k miles each way, but this is using VS miles - I can't speak for the CO program as I don't know it and I'm not CO's biggest fan after the treatment I got from them in July for IDB.
As for point 2 - you spoke to a duff agent who didnt have a clue. D and Z fares are entirley that, APEX: requires advance purchase, Z is usually 42 days in advance!
If you have an AmEx account with MR points you could obviously transfer the points to your VS account that way. Obviously you would earn 125% of the mileage flown for a L, B or Y fare anyway.
Hope this helps
Thanks,
Richard