" You will only appear on that standby list on the website when you check in for the flight. Did you check in at the airport or online? It should have shown you on that list once you checked in, but it sounds like the agent really dropped the ball here "

The point is that as soon as I got the email telling me I was unsuccessful and should watch the website and the upgade list, I did check in and then watched the upgrade list and also the "standby upgrade list for eligible passengers" - but I never even got onto that (standby) list, so I wondered what made one eligible for upgrade? Even if others were more eligible (although I booked my flight months ago, am Presidential Platinum etc) - I should have been on the eligible standby list somewhere. Or why have an eligible standby list at all?

SO if never eligible for trans-Atlantic flights that are busy, then what on earth does the system wide upgrade award actually mean? After all, on an underbooked flight, a Presidential Platinum plus passenger may be upgraded anyway ...

The net result is that many have expectations raised that will never be fulfilled - which is actually a smoke and mirrors trick - a vague promise never intended to be kept, and verging on fraudulent.