Punki, how you can say Alaska wasn't easier to upgrade on than other carriers is a mystery to me. Under the old system, if the seat inventory was there, you got it on the spot, even on LOW fares. Any other carrier had 2,3,5, or 7 day windows, and many required "stickers",or other gimmicks, which raised the ticket cost if you had to buy them. People can argue that there was no sense of entitlement, but BigKing,just read the threads. I'm not knocking anybody. The blame is squarely on the company, which went to the other extreme. My point was the trouble started (and continues)on the transcons, and this just makes it tougher. If you're like me, and you want a better seat on a long trip, this product is no longer worth investing in, because more often than not, you won't clear the cabin. Too many people chasing too few chairs.