I'm Plat and my wife is Silver as well. I generally split our records, but make sure her seat assignment is the one I want to keep before doing so (since Silvers can't pre-assign ELR seats easily). We both like windows, so we usually put her in the window, and me in the aisle in an ELR row. If someone ends up in the middle seat, it's usually a very easy trade with them for the aisle.

When I check in our bags I ask to put her on the companion upgrade list (or do so at the gate if not checking bags). The upgrade list is usually so clogged with other Plats that she has yet to ever clear this way.

I've gotten at least 1 battlefield upgrade I wouldn't have otherwise been guaranteed as a Gold simply because checking in at T-24 meant I was ahead of other Golds in my same fare class who checked in a little later. (If they'd bought their ticket before I did, EUA would have chosen them before me.)

In contrast, on my UA flights, upgrades just work: I either clear ahead of time, or my name is automatically where it's supposed to be on the overhead TV/iPhone app, and I walk up to the gate agent when my name is called. Mixed-metal itineraries are a whole different disaster I won't get into in this thread.

Another data point
 

I too have seen a sharp decline in 5 and 3 day EUA. This Saturday SJO-IAH 12 of 16 FC available and no EUA at 5, 4, 3 for me or 3 for the Mrs. IAH-ORD 12 of 20 FC available and same story.

These use to be pretty easy on weekend travel. No it's a cluster at t-24 or gate. I hope they continue with the fix.:td:

Have a trip next Monday, got upgrades on both segments yesterday, right on time. Even got email notifications. If all is well, I should get upgrades today for flights next Tuesday.

This is on the same route where it has not worked recently.

One more data point to consider.

fp

I'll be checking in shortly and will post my experience. However, usually I'm upgraded on these flights as a silver and as of yesterday, there were no F seats for sale,yet about 5 available to select (I know that's not a good way to tell). I find it hard to believe that all those seats would be sold - F is usually empty. One person has been upgraded.

Update...

I got nuthin' :) I guess F really was sold out. It's unusual, but I guess it happens.

I'm on the upgrade standby list, and have been moving down it all day. My husband, with no status, did not get a buyup offer, which he often does. However, we were ticketed via UA, so that may have something to do with it.

The fomulas have clearly been changed. Probably so COUA can sell more TOD upgrades but it is really pretty pathetic that they hold 9+ seats beyond 24 hours on a regular basis (at least in my recent experiences). I haven't been upgraded more than 24 hours out in my last 10 flights (most weren't to common business routes). I did get the upgrade on most of those, just not anywhere near the time slots they used to happen in.

Not really too upset as long as the upgrade happens sometimes, just worrying that this is just step 1 to a more aggressive attempt to sell TOD upgrades. Get us used to not having an upgrade until the gate then drop the price on TOD upgrades so more get sold.

Not sure if this worse, or the fact that I'm looking at EWR-Asia premium cabins a week from now and seeing a 1/2 empty seat map and no R/RN upgrade space, or a 3/4 empty seat map and a refusal to open up any award I/IN space :td:

Anyone seeing similar issues longhaul? I'm waitlisted Y->C for a flight in 10 days which shows seated 11/52.

Something changed with the backend; I cleared PDX-EWR-MCO (only flew PDX-EWR due to IRROPS), and PDX-EWR cleared at 5 days out, EWR-MCO cleared at around T-24, even though it was F9 the entire time, and even went out with empty F seats (a first for me flying on CO).

Same thing happened on reverse; I've never missed EWR-MCO/PBI but I've always gotten that upgrade at the window before. Might have something to do with the downright strange fairing on PDX-EWR; for a very long time, I could only get it to price a B fare on this flight, and thus only could fly it as a connection.

125/100 upgrade elegibility seems broken (GS/1K)
 

I've cleared all but one TPAC this year, and the last one was lucky as equipment change put all of the FA's in C crew rest taking up 6 seats! Tomorrow I am the only one so far on the upgrade list at checkin +24 hours. I am wondering if and when UG's will clear again at the appropriate windows instead of at the gate-- perhaps the fuller flights and C9 is needed for this to happen, but I am starting to doubt it-- it seems COUA is waiting, waiting, waiting to sell a few more seats whenever they can.

My question is-- does the new electronic waitlist (seems only available on my smartphone and not on UA.BOMB) only put you on the electronic list after you are checked in? I know I could not see the list today until I checked in at +24 hours. I did not look to see if I was on the list before checking in because I wanted to check in as early as possible knowing that it could be a tie breaker for the last available seat.

After I did check in, I went to the smartphone upgrade list and saw that I was the only one on the list for upgrade to C. There were 6 open seats in C and 5 in F, and a very empty Y cabin. I am wondering if the upgrade list is populated by checked-in people only?

I must admit I think the feature of being able to see the list is slick--- and I see the list on CO.com but not UA.BOMB as of yet. If anyone has any more knowledge of how they have seen this thing work, I would be most interested in the discussion.^

cleared T-5 / L fare / IAH >>> DCA ~7:00 pm evening flight on a 739

looked like only 3 seats were reserved from the CO.com seat map, and then 4 or 5 seemed to clear the same time I did. seats still seem pretty much open but this is far from a sold out flight.

Interesting failure with EUA recently. I had booked an itenerary that includes a full Y fare domestic segment (all on CO, booked on CO.com). No upgrades on any of my 4 segments as a PPlat.

Well, during the EUA window (4 days out) I am looking at my reservation and see that the "Elite Upgrade Fare" icon is there on the 'Y' segment. Looking I see that there is 1 seat in 1st (and even has R inventory). I called the PPlat line and they were able to upgrade me into 'JN'. Had I missed that anyone would have been able to jump ahead of me using miles or a CR-1. I certainly should have been at the VERY top of the list as a PPlat on a full 'Y' fare purchased 6 weeks prior.

At the end of the day that was the only 1 of 4 domestic legs on that itenerary that cleared, and it might not have cleared if I didn't call.

Help me understand why this makes sense... 25 hrs out. C9 and still no EUA... maybe I'm being too presumptuous and thinking I'll get an upgrade (currently 0/2 on iah-cun for upgrades so I know it doesn't always happen at peak times and there'll be no upgrade on the return)... but really C9 and 25 hours out and plats waiting for an upgrade? Waiting for nine last minute biz travelers to purchase full fare on thanksgiving week for that emergency trip to cancun? or TODs? :D

Plat here with a flight leaving EWR for the west coast on Wednesday. F3, no EUA within the EUA window and am still waiting to clear using a Cr-1...

I thought there was no way I would ever get EUA'd for LAX-EWR tomorrow, but at the 24 hour mark my EUA cleared. Now F is showing full. If I'm getting EUA'd from LAX-EWR, then EUA must be broken (but in a good way).