Just keep in mind that, as a Gold, you won't know if a sticker upgrade has cleared until 24 hours in advance (at the earliest) and, frankly, the odds tend to be against it on the ~1700 mile flights. Sure, it happens (especially if you're flying at off-peak hours to an off-peak destination) but there are no guarantees and, even if you clear, odds are you won't know until very close to your departure. If you are determined to fly first, as noted above, the better solution would be to do a domestic mileage upgrade which you can often guarantee at the time of booking. If you want to try your luck with stickers, you can put in for the upgrade now and buy the stickers online or at the airport after it clears. Good luck.