Originally Posted by
mahasamatman
If you decide you want to try for the upgrade, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to accumulate the miles you need as quickly as possible.
After first being sure to find out what fare class you are flying. Don't be confused; sometimes Y is used as shorthand for ALL coach tickets, but given that you are booked through your school, I highly doubt you are flying Y. Probably one of the classes lower on the list but it's also possible that you are booked in a class that isn't on the list (if it's a group fare or something...).