Originally Posted by
JohnAx
essentially any segment on an AA-ticketed DONEx can be upgraded. Or did I put a bit of wishful thinking into my reading? That situation would leave almost no reason for AA explat's to look at the "A" column in the fare tables.
Depends on the routing, since eVIPs can only be used on AA metal (they're no help at all on CX, QF, BA, etc.) Also, the AA flights over the Pacific generally use the "coffin" first class seats, which are comparable to business on CX or QF.
I did have a work trip to China last January. Since the business class fare to just go to China was the same as a business class circle pacific trip, I opted for that, and then paid the extra $2k myself to upgrade to first. I then made sure to route not using AA, so I'd get the much better CX/QF first class experience.