With profits essentially non-existent, airlines are torn between selling Business and First Class seats (large profit centers for the airlines), and offering them to their most loyal customers in the form of upgrades. Hoping to sell them outright, airlines are not releasing Premium seating for upgrades until an hour (or even minutes) before the flight’s departure. So now it becomes a race among frequent travelers to position themselves to obtain one of the few Premium seats. Everyone seems to have their own method and strategy for getting into position. We have one too.
Original text: The Upgrade Game - A Real Catch-22 For Airlines