I'm looking into booking two Suites class seats from LAX to NRT next spring (late March early April) for a trip to Japan. My dates are somewhat flexible, so I do see availability that would work at the Saver level (298k points plus $770 in surcharges) on the weekdays, however more ideally would be weekend flights, for which only the waitlist is available.
What's the best strategy here? Can I book the flights that are available now, and get on a waitlist for the preferred flights? Will I need an extra 300k points to be put on the waitlist for another seat? If I need to change the flight, assuming the waitlist clears, should I expect to pay the additional 15% miles plus the redeposit fee?