The rules still apply, so it is not like a non-status person can upgrade, unless they are on full-fare which is often unlikely. that rule only applies to the 500-miles-upgrade vouchers. No such restricting fare-rule for the confirmable-one-way-upgrade vouchers (16 of those I get in a year, when flying more than 10K base miles per quarter on UA) - and if they would loose transferability - I would loose a big part of interest in them (I give them to my children and their partner - and they travel mostly not in my company anymore).