I don't take issue with the pecking order. Rather I take issue with providing a benefit that cannot easily be used by many of us, particularly at hubs like SFO.

For example I maybe take 1 transcon a year with Mrs. B. Or one trip to Hawaii from the West Coast. I would like to upgrade that flight, preferably both directions. There are dozens of flights from which to choose and I tend to buy the tickets months in advance of travel. Giving me RPUs and GPUs that I cannot use on these flights (0% clearance over past several years) makes them almost worthless to me and in fact is worse than the old system where (as 2P) I could buy stickers or coupons to upgrade my flights. And did so with ease. In fact I would gladly pay $200 to do so but that option isn't offered when I buy my tickets - it's either $400RT for discount E+ or $1600RT for F, Even non-elites have a better shot at TOD cash upgrades than high level elites with RPU/GPU.

So yes I get that UA wants to sell the seats. And if UA can't sell the seats then it wants to give them free to GS before anyone else. But if the result is that GPUs/RPUs can't be used by the rest of us except by rolling the dice then why award them at all? Giving something that is useless does not engender loyalty and is worse than giving nothing.