The people who are saying a higher floor or view is an upgrade are deluding themselves and gaslighting others. A person without any status can receive a higher floor/view, a polite request will often do it. Anything less than a category upgrade is not an upgrade. Period.

I usually stay at Marriott's "high end" properties if I stay at a Marriott at all, no upgrades for me as titanium. I stayed at a Courtyard and was ceremoniously informed that I as a titanium was "upgraded" to a same category, same size standard room... but with a bathtub. At Hyatt as a globalist I routinely get upgraded to premium suites that are not supposed to be part of the upgrade pool.

Satisfaction with low expectations only make loyalty programs deteriorate faster than they already do.