Can someone explain to me how the upgrade waitlist works? My daughter, who attends school in Boston, just became MVP. Today was the first flight she had taken in which she was eligible for the upgrade waitlist. Flight is SEA-BOS, and 50 people are on the waitlist.

First off, how is it possible that a full 1/3 of the plane is on the UG waitlist?

Second, looking at who was assigned “upgraded” seats, it was persons 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 19, 23, 29, 42, and 47! (These were all in the section just behind 1st class, not F itself). This makes no sense, unless the number is just the order in which people entered the waitlist and not their actual priority level!

Thanks in advance!