Originally Posted by
javajunkie
Upgrade requests are issued at 5/3/1 days prior to flt based on elite status (PM/GM/FO) and fare class against upgrade inventory. If there is no (or no more) u/g inventory available, then Medaillion upgrade requests go to the gate upgrade process (the "gate lottery") at 30 min prior to departure.
For the GA to be selling u/gs, any Medallions who requested upgrades should have already been upgraded.
I was wondering about that. With so many seats open, I asked if even Silver Medallions wouldn't have cleared 24 hours out. She replied "Maybe, maybe not. Not all Silvers are equal." I didn't quite get what that meant and actually wondered if they might be trying to sell before upgrading Silver Medallions on the lowest fare buckets. Out of two flighs in the area we were waiting, both were selling paid UGs. Perhaps she just meant that if UGs weren't available 24 hours out she'd be clearing them at the gate. The line was growing, though empty when I walked up, so she (probably rightly so) told me she needed to move on. I figured I could find out the rest here anyway ;-)
Thanks for all the quick replies!