While corbes63 cannot gift 500 mile certificates, isn't it true thatcorbes63 can sponsor someone for an upgrade using those certificates:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0...itle=2upgrades

I have sponsored two friends using SWUs. And, whatever status corbes63 has on United would be one factor used to prioiritize where the sponsored party falls in the queue for an upgrade. (For example, when I sponsored someone using an SWU, their place on the waitlist was based on my 1-K status, not their own status).

John