Do you know how many people ask about upgrades into FC? Take the number of elites per flight and then add the people that think if they ask nicely (because there have been so many articles written about getting free upgrades) times the number of flights an agent works per day.....

This question gets old really quick. That doesn't excuse an agent's bad attitude but it might explain why they always say "we're full" even if the flight hasn't checked in full yet.

Next time try asking if the standby list has been cleared. If the GA has started clearing ask if you should board or wait in the boarding area for your upgrade.

Upgrades aren't the most important thing the GA is doing. They are trying to get people onto the flight that don't have seats first.

Good luck on your upgrades.