I book a trip to the UK on short notice. Checking seat maps (they can block inventory view, but not other people's search engines), I find a flight with over 20 available (unassigned) seats in Envoy. Since I'm well within my CP window for upgrade, I ask how it looks. Nothing available, I am told, but we'll waitlist you, and it might clear. Just about 48 hours out, I ask again. Still no dice. I pull a seat map, and it now shows 31 unassigned seats in Envoy. Now, I get curious, and start looking around the net. We're talking a $7000 retail seat. First, I check for special offers to hemophiliacs, figuring these guys are smart enought to market their strengths. What better, than to remind people afraid of cutting themselves that we don't use any glass onboard. Blind alley. Nothing. Then I check 1stAir.net. These guys emailed me a few weeks ago, telling me I can get Envoy at up to 60% off. I check. They're in the low $3000's for the 7 grand ticket. I go into Expedia. Aha..drive to Miami and it drops to $2600 over there. And then it dawns on me. In this Bazaar they are running, they will try to get anything for those seats before they go to a high miler. So hold them open until the last minute. My guess is the available inventory is going up as perhaps some consolidators are releasing seats back. But that's OK, since we can all do it at the airport on date of travel. With draconian reductions in staff at those places, we need to give what's left even more to do. And those happy folks at the port...hey, they will be delighted to see us, and will really work to see we get taken care of. I realize we are all mooches, and don't pay enough, but if all things were equal, many of us would take the nearest nonstop, and save about 4 hours. 31 open seats, and no upgrades in advance? Is that really necessary?