Originally Posted by craigthemif

If you are based in Vancouver, you only have poor options for spending your Avios.

However it is entirely personal as to whether you believe that a Y --> J upgrade is worth the extra 100k Avios. Some people want fewer luxury trips using miles. Others want more trips and/or must consider the cost of taking the entire family.

I would do it every single time. Moreover I would look for a JAL F route and position there separately, although to be fair I would be using AS miles instead of Avios.