FWIW, I have a EWR-IAH-HNL-GUM-ROR-MNL trip coming up (K fare)

I was able to apply an RPU online and it upgraded all segments except HNL-GUM (as expected). All the layovers were relatively short though, <1hr.

That is not the determining factor. There are quite a few international routes that are RPU or even CPU eligible.

BF Upgrade List and Flight Standby List
 

I'll answer one part of the question I originally posed above.

I stayed with UA90 and tonights flight is listed BF=Full and Economy=Full. There are 2 people on the flight standby list and also the BF Upgrade List. So it does appear they would pull you from Economy Standby to the BF Upgrade List, if available at deparure. Of course I don't know if this was a result of a SDC or not.

Those are likely Nonrevs. They will appear on the standby lists for all cabins.

that's a reasonable hypothesis considering the reports so far

always has been true, PN has been locked to P (CPU route or not). PN has been meaningless on non CPU ruote so it could get a different meaning for non CPU (and therefore {most cases - except PS & some Hawaii} GU routes)

GPU turned into CPU after checkin?
 

I'm on my return flights. I had GPU's applied to Outbound and Return. Outbound upgraded at ticketing on the 1st flight and cleared later for the next leg.

My return was confirmed in R for the TLV-EWR at booking but the next flight was waitlisted based on the GPU since booking.

Tonight when I checked in the mobile app and online notes I'm waitlisted CPU on this flight which is below the GPU instrument applied.

Is this normal behavior - or is this something the phone agents could clear-up (i.e. without losing my confirmed BF upgrade that currently exists)?

I saw the same thing on one of my flights I was using miles on after I checked in. A call in confirmed I was listed above 1K's using CPU even though reservation showed I was now on a CPU. And as I was #3 on the list from SFO I would believe him as usually #15 or worse when using CPU. Still didn't clear though :(

An update on this last leg with GPU applied. This early am the flight is now R=2. I'm listed #1 on Upgrade Standby List. I called the 1K line to have the GPU pushed thru on this segment and was told by agent and then Supervisor they can't push the GPU within 24 hours even though R=2.

Now in the past I've had this situation taken care of by 1K. Is this something new in the system or is the Supervisor giving me incorrect info. I was told to have this taken care of at the airport. Now my out-station is TLV and they are contract employees and I've had zero luck having anything other than "normal" ticketing type changes taken care of at this station.

Any advice - HUATA?

Call and try again. If they will not clear the upgrade, have them redeposit the GPU to your account. Stay on the line while they do this and don't hang up until it shows in your account. Then either apply the GPU to your reservation online or call back to have it applied. Make sure there is still R space available before you do this!

UA853 for 8/31
 

I applied for a GPU. Seat map shows 3 seats open. Flight status shows 37/40 seats booked.
And a dummy reservations shows J8, JN8, C8, D7, Z7, ZN7, P6, PN6, R0, RN0.

My question is how come the above show more than 3 seats available when when flights shows 37/40 booked. Can someone explain?

and what was F?, present appears to be F7. So UA is willing to oversell business by 5 and bump some to F. Fairly standard in the last day or two prior to departure. But UA will not clear GPU if it causes a bump.

I tried this a couple months ago, same situation - 3 different agents, none could/would cancel the UG

Can't find the “Redeem Upgrade” button
 

I am trying to upgrade an existing flight. I have done this in the past and this reservation qualifies for an upgrade but I am not able to locate the button the instructions tell me to click on i.e. Click the “Redeem Upgrade” option under your reservation.

Any help will be much appreciated (as RN is showing 1).

Is it ticketed? It should be to the right on the reservation page.

Did you apply any kind of E-Cert when you booked? This has been known to foul up the online upgrade process forcing you to call to get it applied.