Before we get a full blown CO vs UA discussion, what I am getting from this is, the SHARES system is so burdensome in its application, that perhaps that's the reason why an agent would mention it's too much for the gate agent to handle a connect rebook.

When I advised the boarding agent I would not be taking the first leg seat cleared from standby, the work it took to get my bag back to the confirmed routing by the "free" gate agent through the computer (not handled by the boarding agent, ok?), surprised even me.

Now, that does make sense and is reasonable. I worked on probably four systems in my occupations, and only one was really good for agents and passengers. And, yet, when it came to fare calculations and adherence to tariffs for global travel, another system was the "Cadillac".