I get what OP is saying in that people expect upgrades and don't get them feel worse than if they never even had a chance at one.

I think the biggest issue is time... what I mean is there are people here that started flying pre-consolidation and load factors were in the 50% range on most flights and upgrades were practically automatic, and are now upset when their upgrade percentage is far lower.

Then there are the more recent fliers who may have only been true road warriors the last few years and are more accustom to sitting in Y and think of upgrades more as a treat than an expectation.

Obviously there are people who have been flying for years that have adjusted just fine to the consolidated industry and people who just hit the lowest tier status for the first time ever and can't understand why they aren't being upgraded on their Monday morning flight from LGA to ORD.

Just my thoughts on the matter