Elite with TWA is a very well kept secret. Compared with 30K or so United 1Ks, there are probably relatively few TWA Elites, even fewer Elite 1's, etc...therefore, the unlimited upgrades are very easy to come by. I would imagine that there are quite a few TWA Elites in STL, and a fair number in their traditional business markets like JFK, DCA, BOS, PHL, LAX and SFO. However, still far fewer than the other majors.

For TWA, increasing their yields is of utmost importance. If this means "giving away" a few Elite memberships in the hopes of attracting higher fare flyers, it is probably a good bet. I have run across a fair number of flyers who are on TWA because of the generous upgrade program- for those who commute on discout fares, it is a great deal. In addition, if you are flying between two cities without direct service and have to connect anyways, STL is not a bad alternative to ORD or DFW. And if flying on a full-fare, why not sit up front?

I believe that the unlimited upgrade policy on discount fares for Elites is changing this year, but am not 100% sure. No changes for Elite 1 and Platinums.