Whats the easiest way into business first? Mileage?
$$$ paying for it outright
otherwise its a gamble and depends where you are flying to , when you are flying (period of time) and what day and hour as well, and it costs Miles as well as a copay that depends on the fare basis of the tkt you Purchased
usually you wont be Confirmed at time of Purchase , so they will waitlist you. Then they will take those on a higher fare basis, so a Y,B or M will get it before someone on an ElCheapo.
The Gamble is you can pay alot more for tkt and be unlucky and the UP doesnt clear so now you just paid a heck of alot more $$$ for the exact Coach seat you will occupy when you could have purchased the ElCheapo instead and sat in that same seat
I NEVER paid a higher fare and got stuck in Coach, Luck not at all Smarts I dont play COs game , if its not confirmable at time of Purchase I go with the ElCheapo. Now an ElCheapo can also be UPed but the copay is more $$. Ive flown around the world seating in Coach and Im over 6', sure Biz would be nice but only if I can get it w/o braking the Bank and gambling by paying alot more $$