If you're using EF you need to do an "Award & Upgrade" search.

C is now a revenue fare bucket, and there's a special "C" award bucket that is only visible when doing an upgrade search. Likely your flight is C4 but awardC0

You're right, C0.

Now I am waitlisted for a mileage award. Any chance of this clearing, or am I waiting for nothing?

It's possible since it's still J6, but I suspect it'll be a battlefield upgrade if it clears at all.

Yes, I will just monitor and do a cash upgrade closer to the time if I have to.

I'm not too good to fly in Economy, but I don't want to be stuck there on a sold out flight.

If there is space in J and C then there is a non-zero chance. Depends on a lot of factors, and sometimes it'll clear before. Unfortunately if you don't want to fly in economy the only way to be 100% sure is to confirm business or to pay for it

The cash upgrade offers will likely disappear if it drops much further than J6. I wouldn't wait if you want J.

Work pays for coach, buy-up to F?
 

I’m a United 1K and being at a hub, I haven’t flown non Star Alliance in probably a decade. I need to get from CVG to CLT. I see American has direct flights. On UA, I can have the company buy coach, and then I can upgrade - sometimes with personal money. I just call in and they change the ticket and bill the delta to my personal credit card.

Is there something like this on AA?

Yes. Book the ticket and open the app or website and see if there is an upgrade option.

If that doesn't work, you can always call in.

Yep, to clarify in more laymans terms, there are 2 options, a cash upgrade option, or an upfare.

The cash upgrade option will appear in app (or sometimes on the website) and will be dynamic based on some random calculation. (In the app, I have to refresh the booking to get it to show sometimes.) Doing so will charge a card of your choosing and is basically just a seat selection fee. You will get the extra bag benefits, boarding, etc as well, but will not earn extra miles/LPs (this likely doesn't matter for you). If the trip is cancelled, you will have to request separately for credit, and it will be returned separately.

If you call in, you will get an upfare. The price will still be dynamic, but will be based on the difference between price that was paid for your current seat and the current price of the upgraded seat. You will get all the benefits, etc, as well as increased mileage earnings based on the new fare paid (and not the original fare paid). If you cancel, it will all come back as one credit.

I miss those days on Continental - "buy a Y fare get free upgrade at time of booking."

To add on to the above, try the app first. Just wait until the reservation tickets, then load it in the app, swipe once to refresh, wait a few seconds, and see what buy-up offer appears. (Unlike United, an offer will not instantly appear on the very next page after booking.)

The in-app delta may be as little as $54 on that route, even if the retail difference in fares is much much more than that.

you're *seriously* dating yourself :D

What’s an upgrade?

I'm pretty sure that promo constituted the birth of Y-up fares. It didn't take long for finance departments to figure out what was going on, though.

Indeed