If you are a PremEx, then you can clear upgrades upon purchase within the 72 hour window full fare and less as long as there is NC/NF inventory, which is made available depending upon volume of unsold seats within certain time parameters prior to flight.

Regarding the thinking that a full fare paying pax thats is a PremEx or Premie being placed ahead of a 1K discount (or higher fare) in the upgrade rank is nuts. If UA ever tried such a stunt, many 1K's would jump ship! A good deal of us are confined to travel rules within our places of work that quite commonly require travel be booked on the lowest available fare for travel required. And if we are paying out of our own pocket, most are even more resourceful in locating even cheaper fares that can be upgraded. The rank of 1K is hard earned by most on this board and the thought of diluting the 1K level of benefits in this manner (based upon fare paid) would be horrible! There are 30,000 of us 100K flyers out there that should have every right to upgrade over PE's and P's and full fare pax! (unless you are a full fare 1K with res made prior to other 1K's).

This is one of those UA 'issues' that never seems to die? Enough said.