The "official" policy is still not being consistently honored.

I just boarded AS 713, STL-SEA. All the seats eligible for upgrades were sold at the airport. At the ticket counter, according to a gate agent I asked. She said they sold, "a lot of them!"

It was five First Class upgrades sold, by my count, based on upgrades displayed in the AS app. The waitlist on the app showed waitlisted pax #12, and several #20 and higher, were upgraded into First. No one, like me, in the first half dozen or even first ten on the waitlist made it.

Not only didn't we not get a "free" upgrade, we were not given a chance to pay since these paid upgrades were all done at the ticket counter. Not at the gate.

I have several app screenshots that confirm the upgrade order. (Can't upload them right now, but glad to send to Missy or customer care after I land.)

I thought I had a decent chance at an upgrade, having purchased my ticket three months ago. Even if I wouldn't have made it in the normal queue, I never expected AS would not even give me a chance to buy it at the gate, if that is the new approach.

This is disappointing. And if this isn't official policy, it's out of hand.