Originally Posted by
rjw242
Neglecting, of course, the fourteen 500-mile upgrades the "piker" would need to burn to upgrade the whole roundtrip. That plus the uncertainty of being upgraded as a PLT might reasonably steer one away from the more expensive ticket.
You can actually buy F on that route for < coach fare + $520 in upgrade instruments.
Y is in the $600-700 range and F is $988 or so.
The article says Plat but it also say complimentary upgrades so who knows for sure. If he is Plat, buying F beats upgrading.