Wow, it's not like these copays are typically tens of dollars, we're talking some serious fronting of cash for a chance at an upgrade. I guess this is the new UA - maybe Jeff will put this in the next pre-safety video:
"We've also made some changes to the way upgrade co-pays work that I think you'll like. Instead of charging you when your upgrade clears, we'll now charge you at the time of request! This means that you won't have to worry about us charging you right before you travel when your upgrade clears. Instead, you'll have peace of mind to use that credit card, maybe even the United MileagePlus Explorer Card, during your well deserved vacation."