Wow did you find yourself an empty headed FA.

1. Employees can not become someone's companion, for the sake of an Elite upgrade unless they are traveling on a real (not a pass) ticket. Employees are seated after everyone else.
2. After 10 years, all travel on our airline is free in coach. After 25 years all travel in free. Vacation passes are free and we get x number of them a year, good for free travel to international and domestic, F and Y class.
Buddy passes are not so free. It costs a base fee to activate them and then we are charged a percentage based on where they are traveling to. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a revenue ticket.
3. The GA can tell you anything they wish to. It isn't a secret who is traveling on a pass since this list must be posted for the employees to see, for each flight. SA3P means an employee is traveling in a regular pass. SA3V means they are using a vacation pass.
4. Empty seats in F will go out empty if all Elites have been upgraded and employees have been seated in the class inwhich they have been listed.
5. FAs are not allowed to upgrade unless directed by the GA. What happens after the door closes is their business.

Often times we have seats open in F but the employee does not wish to be split from their other traveling family, so they choose to remain seated in Y class.