Originally Posted by
flugvergnugen
Data point: a transcon I had tried to upgrade with a CR1 didn't clear until the gate. A couple of days later the CR1 was back in my account, so I got upgraded through UDU. Don't think that having the CR1 in there put me anywhere special on the list.
This exact same thing has happened to me a few times recently. Waitlisted using a CR-1 until sometime within 24 hours of the flight. Eventually the U/G clears but it does so before I get to the gate. A few days later the CR is returned to my account.
This does create a bit of a quandry since I tend to time my CR expirations fairly tightly. I've had 3 of them expire in the last 5 months because they were returned after I was upgraded and there was little time before their expiration date. I suppose it all comes out even in the end since I was upgraded anyway.