Originally Posted by
ACYYZ/SD
Several references have been made to the fact that company/deadheading staff should be boarded after paying passengers. My experience with deadheading is that I have been given a J/C seat only after all other confirmed and entitled customers have been issued a boarding card. This also occurs during the final boarding process of the flight. The GA's want us (and everybody) on board to ensure an on-time departure. Revenue customers often prefer to board as late as possible to maximize their time in the MLL. Can't fault anybody for that!
I recall at least one occasion, on a YVR-YYC flight, whereby when I boarded, roughly half of the J cabin was already occupied by cockpit crew. And they had filled nearly all the bins. Plus their demeanor was as if they owned the place.
I believe they had had boarded first *precisely* because they wanted to get bin space ahead of paying customers.
Admittedly that was a while ago. You might find my article starting a thread entitled "pigs in front."
(Repeating myself, in principle I have no objection to crew filling J seats that would otherwise gone emplty.)