Okay, I'm still trying to figure this out; I've searched and read a lot here, and it's all very helpful, but I still don't understand something about getting upgraded, apparently.

I am (new) PLT. I requested upgrades on a RT SJC-JFK flight this past week; when I booked (a couple weeks ago) there were some seats left in F but only 5-6 of them. I figured I had a chance at an upgrade but no guarantee.

I didn't get upgraded on the flight out to JFK, it was very full and I wasn't surprised.

On the return flight, the 72 hour window passed without a notification. A day before my flight, there were 2 seats in F, probably being held for paying customers and to be released at the gate if not sold (as the guy on the Elite phone line told me).

I checked in exactly 24 hours early, as I read here that would help my position on the Gate Upgrade List when I got to the airport and got on such a list.

When I got to the airport, I went straight through security as I had my boarding pass, and waited at the gate for an agent. The GA was very late, showed up only about 20 minutes before boarding, and told me that there was 1 F seat left and 12 people on the list. I didn't even bother to get on the list at that point as she told me I definitely wouldn't get the seat.

My questions:

1) Could I have gone to ANY GA at JFK to get on the list? In other words, I didn't have to wait for our late agent, I could've walked up to any gate and put myself on the list? Is this what the other 12 people did?

2) Even though I was so late putting myself on the list, I thought someone here said that you are put on the Gate Upgrade List in order of when you checked in. I checked in literally as early as possible, exactly at 24 hours ahead, as I happened to be at a computer then. Shouldn't I have then gone to the top of the list, or at least near the top?

It's my understanding that you can only get on this list 2 or 3 hours (which is it for domestic?) ahead, and that you get put on the list in order of check in.

What did I do wrong here, that I can hopefully avoid in the future?

Thanks!