that's my return--outbound is flight 90 on 6/23 and I just checked and it's only J2 so yeah my EF alert setting is probably in vain!

Ok so looking at EF and I need someone to help me decode this.
I am scheduled to fly AA from HNL-DFW-MIA on August 26. Flight is AA8 and either AA2386 or AA1276. I am booked in economy for the moment but plan on calling to upgrade to PE since it's only a bit more ( company has paid for my economy ticket so I have to wit for ticketed status to call). My plan was to either upgrade right to first class paid, I think I can do this and it seems to be a $550 difference but then as I was reading the miles upgrade chart I realized that it appears that if I pay up to premium economy, I can then oped for a miles upgrade to business/first and it will only cost 8k miles. (someone stop me here if i am reading this wrong) so now I am looking on EF and i see that it is saying no C space so will that plan not work??
otherwise this is what I see for the two flight combinations:

AA 80HNL
08/26/18 5:33 PMDFW
08/27/18 5:54 AM772
Daily
95% / 19mJ7 D1 I0 W7 P7 Y7 B7 H7 K7 M7 L7 G7
V7 S0 N0 Q0 O0
https://www.expertflyer.com/include/...xclamation.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/details.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/seat-map.png

AA 23860DFW
08/27/18 7:15 AMMIA
08/27/18 11:15 AM757
Daily
NA / NAJ7 D1 I0 Y7 B7 H7 K7 M7 L7 G7 V7 S0
N0 Q0 O0
https://www.expertflyer.com/include/...xclamation.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/details.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/seat-map.png

1 Connections

AA 80HNL
08/26/18 5:33 PMDFW
08/27/18 5:54 AM772
Daily
95% / 19mJ7 D5 I5 W7 P7 Y7 B7 H7 K7 M7 L7 G7
V7 S7 N0 Q0 O0
https://www.expertflyer.com/include/...xclamation.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/details.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/seat-map.png

AA 12760DFW
08/27/18 8:50 AMMIA
08/27/18 12:44 PM757
Daily
NA / NAJ7 D5 I5 Y7 B7 H7 K7 M7 L7 G7 V7 S7
N0 Q0 O0
https://www.expertflyer.com/include/...xclamation.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/details.png https://www.expertflyer.com/include/images/seat-map.png

What does this all mean and can I confirm a miles upgrade with these seats available?

One quick comment. If you upfare to PEY then you may get P and H fares or Y and W fares (latter will be more expensive). Only the Y/W fares will get you the 8000 miles + no copay upgrades.

Yes I was hoping to upfare to PE as soon as my ticket is issued no matter what, I want a more comfortable seat, then once that is done, then attempt the 8k miles upgrade. Does that sound like it will work that way?
I would need to see C fares??

ETA: I was re-reading the fares page, I see what you were talking about P fare being discount. I think I'm better off just doing the miles +cash upgrade. Thanks.

Just to be clear mile+co pay to or from HNL is nearly impossible (not saying it can't happen) as people will pay $ to upgrade on this route. So if you want a lie-flat seat and willing to $550 for it then my suggestion would be to book your Y seat and then pay the difference.

Well I also found out after calling that if only one leg clears then they charge the whole thing with miles +copay, so even if HNL-DFW did not clear (which is the one I wanted) and DFW-MIA did (which is a terrible waste of 15k miles +$175, they would charge me. In the end I just went with upfaring to PE and being happy with that. I may put in for 500 miles upgrades just to humor myself LOL but at least I will get a foot rest and food on the long flight.

You should be able to request the Miles upgrade on just the HNL-DFW leg first, and then only if it clears you would request it for DFW-MIA.

I asked about that and he wasn't sure, he said to request it using 500 mile upgrades. Since I didn't want to essentially pay twice, I just went with up-faring to PE and I am happy with that. According to the details,it will give me a meal just like in first class , economy doens't give you anything so I am ok with that and the bulkhead row which I believe has the recliner style foot rest vs. just the little bars attached to the seat in front.

I dont agree. On some days and in peak season (Sunday night HNL return), yes. But I have cleared several complimentary EXP upgrades on award tickets too.

it is a tougher upgrade than some places but non key days and dates , C does pop up

i guess that means mine would never clear, I am flying back last sunday afternoon in august.

Why? If I cleared as an EXP complimentary award upgrade (lower than pretty much everything) you likely will find C space on that flight.

HNL-DFW and vice versa is a tougher upgrade than several domestic flights, But in non school times, non Christmas, miles + copay is very doable.

This isn't true, you can ask for the long flight to be upgraded not the shorter one. I just went through this with AA, we have tickets PHX-PHL-DUB and I asked just the PHL-DUB to be upgraded (it's an overnight flight) our return is a daytime flight and we are in PE. The aagent had no problem setting that up, in fact, 4 days after doing this I received an alert from EF of seats opened, called in and got upgraded. I don't care about the PHX-PHL flights we are in MCE seats.

I have temp. Plat Pro status through the targetted 'challenge offer' and will soon have my only itinerary where a 'complementary upgrade' is even possible (I have four other round trip flights currently booked or which has passed during my challenge period, but two were booked in BE, one was international, and one is an award flight). On my last flight (last Saturday night, LGA-DFW), there was only three people on the upgrade list and I think they all cleared (with perhaps even a seat or two to spare in F) - meanwhile I was seated in one of the last rows of the 737 in front of a 12 year old that kicked and pressed his feet against my seat the entire time. Why oh why did I bite for a slightly cheaper BE fare - sure it made sense at the time - I don't use overhead space anyways, get the most important benefits from the aadvantage exec card, am always EQD (not EQM) limited when it comes to 'reaching' for gold, and I had no status nor planned on having any status when I booked it.

I have a DFW-BOS leg Friday evening and just checked and there is only 1 F seat open. On the return the Friday the week after, there is again only 1 F seat open. So, just a hunch, but chances of an upgrade clearing for me are nothing, right?

I'll enjoy my MCE seat at least.

As a Plat Pro with low EQDs you would clear ahead of any Plat members but behind all other Plat Pros. There isn't a zero chance, depending on things at the airport you could clear. I wouldn't hold your breath on the DFW-BOS leg though because of so many Ex Plats out of DFW.