Originally Posted by j2simpso

Having no upgrades clear till the gate is insane, doubly so if you're in a J9 situation. Other airlines, like UA are generally good about clearing upgrades having their elite travellers clear into J at time of booking or worst case a couple days prior to departure. Yes, there still are occasions where there'll be a couple seats left in the front cabin which is determined at the gate. But from my experience that tends to be quite rare, particularly on medium haul domestic flights like New York to Heathrow.