I'll add one more comment to this: the kind agent who told me about the downgrading also said this to me after I expressed horror at the thought of cashing in miles for a BF ticket...not that one was available on my dates:
" Are you doing this for the trip, or for the miles? you know, you'll get almost as many miles flying DCA-SEA, as DCA-LGW. And you could probably do four of those from BWI for the cost of one upgradable european fare. Have you ever considered doing cheap trans-con RTs to get the miles (and usually elite upgrades) and then cashing in miles for your intl flight?."

I do have plenty of miles to burn and by thinking ahead and booking early, that might be a solution to HoKey fares.

[This message has been edited by joanek (edited 10-11-2001).]