Originally Posted by
rustykettel
It's 40,000JPY NRT-JFK and you can do it at the check in counter, don't have to wait until the gate.
https://www.jal.co.jp/en/info/inter/apopyug.html
I've done it, but not on that specific route. As for if they're always available, I'd say it depends. JAL doesn't hold seats back for paid upgrades so if they (or their codeshare partners) sell every seat, they're gone.
The time or times that you have applied for a paid upgrade was there availability for you to upgrade? I do realize that the full fare customers of course come first. Just was wondering whether to try and get the upgrade, Narita to JFK, at our initial departure point Bangkok. We are flying BKK to JFK with a change of planes at Narita. Maybe in this case they can only do the upgrade at the service desk at Narita.