Thanks for the replies. I am ok if they (COdbaUA) want to implement a different policy- I just don't get why they can't come out and say so. The UGS materials I got in March pretty much implied status quo in terms of UGS priority regards wait lists; every PMUA employee I have asked says "UGS gets top priority for upgrades" and yet are completely mystified when Premiers clear vs UGS (as the agent at IAD told me had happened) and when wait lists get "deleted".

If fare trumps UGS status then there is little value in UGS per se. I travel often, at short notice (so don't get discount fares) , and my company gets similar discounts from the majors, plus I have 1K locked in in theory (3+MM miles), so if this is truly the case I can and will try other airlines. And, in theory, I am the type of high fare paying customer United wants..