OK, I have absolutely no idea how that escaped me for 1,5 years.....
It was a good weekend for CPU to MCO. I unfortunately had to cancel that award ticket, bought a paid ticket Saturday back Monday am, and both again cleared CPU!
I have to say, same as last year, I've had excellent upgrade rates (CPU or RPU) across the domestic network whatever time of week flying out of SFO, including hub-to-hub. Yes, I've occasionally had to call to push through RPU on the most difficult routes >72h like SFO-EWR, or my favorite lie-flat SFO-EWR ~10pm flight but almost always have managed.
Similar situation for GPUs. I haven't had a single GPU
not clear on multiple tens of flights to SFO-LHR, CDG, AMS, SYD, EWR-LIS.... even on things like Christmas or Thanksgiving weekends, and I don't usually book more than ~2 weeks out. I feel lucky, reading other's experiences with upgrades, and quite honestly this keeps me loyal to UA.