Upgrading Fare Class to W after purchase
Hi,
It's my first year as 1K with SWUs to try to use. I fly 5 times a year HKG to SFO or ORD.
Call me a cheapskate but I am not going to pay $400+ extra for a W fare class if I can't get a confirmed upgrade. I would feel like too much of a chump sitting in economy if I wound up stranded on the waitlist!
Questions:
1. Does the "R" inventory ever open up on these routes? I checked a few dates near and far but can't seem to find any. If not, are people really just paying for W just to have the chance (which seems low on these routes) of an upgrade? Or am I missing something here?
2. Is it possible/advisable to book in the lowest fare code, and plan to check "R" availability later? If R opens up, could I call in and pay the fare difference to change to W and apply the (immediately confirmed) upgrade?
3. Are there any tricks of the trade here? This system seems almost designed to piss people off. I'm fairly computer savvy as are many FTers I'm sure, but I don't know how a "normal" customer (eg. my mom who is a frequent-travelling doctor who can barely work her iphone) would figure out how all of this is supposed to work.