I would have to agree with this as being a major problem for CO. I have always been a big supporter of this airline, and as a Platinum have had 99.8% upgrade success--but their policy on international upgrades leaves much to be desired. One thing that has not been mentioned is CO's policy of upgrading only the higher fares internationally. Earlier this year when fares had dropped substantially, I attempted to purchase a trip to London, using miles to upgrade (yes, there was the 30 day prior problem--but I was told that being a Platinum my odds were pretty good at getting into BC). The thing that shocked me was the fare necessary to use the upgrade. While sale fares were in the $300 R/T area, in order to upgrade I would have to pay a fare of $872! This was 5 months prior to my planned trip. What gives Continental !!!!