I flew a few time on EWR-LAX this year. The FC are sold out often because, I believe, Contintntal has preferred treament for some big corporation in New York. (At EWR, they even have a seperate check -In lines, and those lines are always shorter than the first class check-in). Most of these corporation are willing to pay full fare and I guess they will comp these accounts with silver eliete, which means they will get upgrades 3 days before depature.