Exactly - I have never ever been offered F wines in J, and am guessing one would have to ask. I do not mind doing it once in a while but it would be really embarassing if refused.

Meanwhile, while I would be making Plat for 2025, I do not feel it is really worth it given the 3x requirement over Gold and the recent earning devaluation in Y. Op-ups have not been that frequent this year likely due to full premium cabins so that no longer feels like a perk. So the only real benefit of Plat for me is F lounge access at DXB.

Now, EK Y fares are fairly reasonable as compared to the J/F fares they are able to charge on some routes to North America - So I feel that if one is ok flying Y, it makes a lot of sense to purchase the cheapest Y fares (I hate the new PE seats and seat configuration anyway) and pay for F lounge access. Besides, you can likely sample most of their premium wines there instead of paying through your nose to do that by flying F.