Originally Posted by
hopel
Right now, no flights show upgrade space, yet C looks wide open on all of the flights I've looked at. Is this common? Should we book now and hope for upgrades to clear, or wait to see if anything opens up? What routing makes most sense? AMS flights are going for Y or M though most seats are not assigned.
Yes, it is entirely common to see open seats in first but no upgrade space. The number of available seats doesn't have a direct relationship to upgrade space. It just depends on how many seats UA thinks it can sell before handing some out for free.
If you really want to be in BusinessFirst, you should find upgrade space at booking. No guarantee that the upgrade will clear off the waitlist. Can you depart out of a different US city (EWR, for example)?
As others have said in the thread, AMS and BRU are common "go-to" cities for those looking for a connecting point in Europe, but it can vary. Happy hunting.