I was waiting for a FC seat from MEM-MSP once and didn't wait for that because I was worried that I might not be able to find a place to store my big bag. Then I used my elite card to board early with a coach boarding pass. Later, my account was credited for that flight with 700 miles plus elite bonus 350 and 350 class bonus miles and it showed that I was flying in F. I didn't get an on board upgrade anyway.