Outstations often have targets for AUPs to fulfill. The ground agents don't have any insights as to how that figure was arrived at, it seems a combination of revenue and fill management, but they know that they are at least half expected to meet that target. In most locations this isn't treated terribly seriously unless it really is fill management related (i.e. anyone not AUP'd means some last minute gate complications). In the USA, a target driving culture is well embedded, let us say, so you are more likely to get the hard sell over there. There is a lounge agent I'm friendly with in JFK and we now both treat it as a joke since I'm never going to pay for First, and she knows it. She also knows that mostly I'll get that upgrade anyway so I make an exaggerated attempt to profusely thank her for working her magic on FLY, when we both know that it's down to some DeepBrain or whatever.