Originally Posted by yyzgigi

Yes it would make a big difference. Unless you are booked in a Latitude Plus fare, the person would require a very rare and valuable Special System Wide Upgrade (SSWU) to upgrade you. If you are on a Latitude Plus it would only require a System Wide Upgrade (SWU).

Most fliers most likely ended the year with a surplus of SWUs, but if they planned well no extra SSWUs. If I were on the same flight, I would consider upgrading with an SWU, but certainly would not give up an SSWU.

Given the significant additional cost of Latitude and the relatively small probability of someone on the board being on the same flight, I suggest you buy the cheapest fare and be prepared to sit in the back.