Fairly surprising that they don't have any J or F tickets for sale on a flight that they just sold these tickets on two days ago. How many last-minute sales are there on UA, for a Friday flight? I would think not many, given the far-superior premium class options on this route.

Also surprised they didn't offer some sort of compromise to you as an effort to limit any liability, e.g., "we can't honor the fare, but as a gesture to travelers who booked this week, we can give you a seat at the Saver award level, fees waived," or "we can give you an upgrade award if you buy an economy ticket." You might not have taken it, but probably some would.