Like pretty much all the changes we don't like, this is all about money. Specifically, selling the seats rather than upgrading elites.
Originally Posted by
drewguy
I get that elites would prefer to know ASAP, but in the end how much do you distinguish between an upgrade at T-48 and an upgrade at the gate?
That's not the comparison. It's how much do you distinguish between upgrade in advance and no upgrade at all? Because that's often the practical effect.