Originally Posted by jaejaez

I disagree. Those who wait until the last minute betting on last minute bargain often find there's no availability left by then. There is value in pre-paying to pre-secure your upgrade. Hotels do the same thing - offer paid upgrades to suites but for those suites still unsold until the last minute (4PM on the day), they often upgrade guests at deeper discounts (or even for free to gain loyalty). It makes every business sense.