Yes, expert mode is really the only good way to search for R. TATL to the west coast can be a challenge, but it does exist. Seen it recently on SFO-LHR, FRA, and ZRH.
Originally Posted by
aacharya
A pseudo-proxy for R is IN. If the seat's available in Saver Business, it's most likely in R. Then you can search via award calendars.
I wouldn't recommend that. Just based on what I've seen, I'd guess that IN availability is something like 1/10 R availability. In other words, you'll miss something like 9/10 upgrades if you base the search on award availability.