Can MVP gold use 2 upgrade certificates at time of booking, and switch to "Complimentary Upgrade + Companion Upgrades" if "U"*2 is still available with 72 hours before departure? Thanks.
AS used to not really pay attention to this behavior, but now they warn you when you apply the paper certs that this is strictly not allowed. Here's the
recently published information:
Complimentary Guest Upgrades may not be used as a placeholder for a Complimentary Upgrade by an Elite Level member. Once a Complimentary Guest Upgrade has been processed, you may not remove it in order to be placed on the upgrade request queue, upgrade waitlist, or receive a Complimentary Upgrade based on Elite Level.
So you have to gamble a bit - you can burn your cert early, buy up to an H fare to secure your upgrade, or just hope for the best when your upgrade window rolls around. I think the reason AS is so adamant about this is that if you're an elite eligible for complimentary upgrades, they want you to buy up to an H fare to secure an early upgrade. The reason AS calls them guest upgrades is really because they're designed to be given to non-elites, not used by the elite member.