Originally Posted by rkkwan

If you are willing to pay the fare difference and change fee, why not call and do it now? You probably will get a better fare right now the later.

There was a multi-page, very heated thread on this forum a few weeks ago about someone trying to upgrade a whole family at the gate last minute. This poster is used to other airlines' buy-up program, and basically got into a fight with the supervisor at EWR. He ended up being barred from the flight, together with his family. I don't want that to happen to you.

BTW, I won't call PHL-LAX a "short trip", even if I'm used to going to HKG.