I'm on a round trip NRT-YVR during the Olympics and coming back just four days after my arrival. With one 2009 SSWU coupon remaining to be used, there are two choices available:

The conservative one says use it on the way there, because if it doesn't work out on the way back, it's lost for good.

The riskier approach is to consider that as economy is already fully booked going, try to keep the coupon and both check in & get to the airport early in the hope of being re-assigned if they've become overbooked. As a *E, this has already happened to me once leaving Canada at the end of Golden Week. Then on the way back, use the coupon with certainty, as J has more than a dozen seats open even though it's now one week from the departure date.

I've thought of getting my name in line for the outbound leg four days in advance as usual, which keeps both options open, and later withdrawing the request if there are still seats in J available one to two days out and I want to risk it. Has anyone tried this?

Couldn't I call the city office, inquire about making a new booking under a new name, and should I be told economy is sold out, ask about being wait listed, then ask how many others are wait listed, also ask if & how many are available in J, and use that information to gauge my op-up chances and decide what to do, up to the day before?

It'd be neat to fly both ways in business class...