So here's a question. My wife and I are flying IAD-OAK direct on a 9:50pm flight, both on "cheapo" fares (she's on T, I'm on W). I know better than to dream for an op-up, so I'm considering buying an upgrade with miles... even then, I know I'll be on the very bottom of the list since neither I nor my wife have any status (we're both general members).
The question is, should I even bother upgrading? It's 15K miles to upgrade each ticket. Normally I use my miles for free tickets... if I value a free ticket at $200-$300 (which is the typical price I pay for transcon flights), then this upgrade would be $120-$180. Is it worth it?
I know most of you 1Kers will say "Definitely!" because you've got upgrades out the wazoo and haven't sat in E- in years. On the other hand, I only fly 1-3 times a year and I almost always buy el-cheapo tickets (I'm a student, I have to). Hence I probably won't have even 2P status within the next N years... this is likely the only way I'll ever upgrade. But... is it worth spending $120-$180 worth of miles to do so? I know that's certainly cheaper than buying an upgrade or a real F ticket, but for "normal" folks like me... would you spend 15K miles to upgrade, or save them for a free ticket?
I know it's all up to me but I'm just on the fence here and wondering if I should spend the miles or not bother, given that it's not ALL that cheap to do so. Of course, this is assuming I don't get bumped off the DM list by all the status people...
