Originally Posted by
cmhua777
I can say that the general consensus for PMUA flights is that ORD/SFO-HKG flights are in the top two or three most difficult routes to upgrade (HKG, SYD and SFO-FRA all vie for top honors).
Having said that, your date does look pretty open from either EWR or ORD. I would probably take the non-stop given that it eliminates the chance for your upgrade to clear, only to mis-connect.
Of course, the higher the booking class the better the shot. So if you are forced to buy M or above, given the current load I wouldn't be too nervous.
for EWR on CO, i think fare class doesn't come into the picture until the expiration of the waitlist. prior to WL expiry, it's status level and time on waitlist and if no clearance by then, the airport standby prioritizes i believe on status, fare class and then time of check-in. SWU treated w/ same priority as miles + copay.