Originally Posted by
funkfish
Wow thanks guys, a lot of info and support here! Quick question. If I'm committed to flying Delta for 2018 whats the most economical way for me (and probably my wife) to get upgraded to TATL business class. Assuming I'm either FO, GM and have at least 100k Amex Membership rewards points as of now.
Ex-US there's not much you can do. You can do a mileage upgrade for 60K miles one-way, but you need a K or higher fare class for that and there are no guarantees there will be upgrade availability. You might get a cash upgrade offer on the website or at check-in, but there are no guarantees, and if you don't get one, an agent will just charge the fare difference for the Delta One seat. Ex-AMS, KLM can process day of departure upgrades if there is availability for 25K miles + 450 Euros on a V fare (higher fare classes have lower cash requirements).
There can be some decent Delta One deals (Z fares) if you can travel on a Mon-Thu and have a Saturday night stay. For example, JFK-OTP is available from $2200 roundtrip during the summer and JFK-FRA is about $2300. BRU, MAD, and CDG are in the $2500- $2600 range.