Hi,

I need to fly from SFO to HND on JAL. I have a stash of AMEX points which I can convert to SPG, which then converts to JAL miles (I think?).

Just wondering, if I were to purchase a PE return ticket (upgradeable), is the upgrade confirmed or only waitlisted? If it's the former, is there a way to know before committing to paying for the PE ticket?

And if it's waitlisted and an upgrade becomes available, do I have to have JAL miles in my account at that time to pay? Or will they hold the upgrade until I can transfer to AMEX --> SPG --> JAL process completes?

Basically, I'm asking is there a way I can maximise the chance of upgrading a paid PE ticket without having to commit my AMEX points to JAL (in case the upgrade falls through, in which case the JAL points become useless).

Thanks