Originally Posted by
Often1
OP's suggestion is not to prioritize GS below Silver, simply that CPU's ought not to be run until the gate. At that point, CPU's are run and GS presumably are at the top.
This does take care of the problems UA has created for itself when people in paid F with flexible tickets or willing to pay a change fee, can't change to a new flight because a Silver got the CPU. Same for a GS who can't change/SDC into F.
Logistically this is handled by the GA simply running the UG list and not mucking with it.
One advantage (and a very important one) to running CPUs in advance is it opens up E+ seats for silvers at check-in, which, in turn, opens up regular Y seats for those without seat assignments. Especially nowadays with BE fares needing seat assignments at check-in (or do they get them at the gate? not sure), holding CPUs until the gate isn’t just a question of the GA’s workload for the upgrade, it’s also about lots of other people’s seat assignments that follow.
All because occasionally someone had something, gave it up, and couldn’t get it back?