Originally Posted by traveling_consultant

So, my wife and I just finished a trip in a similar situation. She was in First on miles, I was in business on a paid ticket. I inquired as to what it would take to upgrade so we could sit together (not assuming it would be free, but hoping maybe someone would take pity) -- they told me $4,000 for the one-way segment of HKG to YYZ. Okay, not going to do that out of my pocket. Business was half empty, so no chance of an op-up, and as an AA PLT, probably very unlikely anyway.

So, it turned out she was the only person in First. This allowed me to come up into First from time-to-time to check in on her and talk (I would never have tried to do this if anyone else had been up there). I was in 11K, so right beyond the curtain.

She could have sat in business, but in the old configuration you're not really sitting together anyway, so I encouraged her to stay in F and enjoy the service. I was a little jealous, being in J, but it was still nice.