Originally Posted by naplesyrupeater

..as for ratting out the purser in this case, the downline ramifications are that he'll be reprimanded, possibly suspended or demoted back to FA status, then an edict will come down from up above reminding crews that in flight op-ups are strictly verboten... and those occasional in flight op-ups that AC FTer's occasionally enjoy will disappear......

situations such as when you're in the aisle with the empty seat beside you and a family with a crying baby in the row behind you and the purser moves you up to J to free up your seat so the family can spread out and have more room to deal with the kids... or you board the plane with tears streaming down your face because you're traveling to the funeral of a loved one and you're stuck in a middle seat between two larger pax and you're obviously distraught and just want to hide in a corner and the crew moves you to J out of sympathy and hands you a box of tissues... or after boarding the a/c in a foul mood because your bags have been lost and you've misconnected and missed your daughter's graduation and been harassed by security for daring to wear shoes with metal spurs in them and a sensitive FA sees that you're not having a great day and invites you to a lie flat suite on your YYZ-YVR to help take some of the sting out of your experience... or when the purser bends down by your seat, flight manifest in hand and asks if you are Mr or Ms. SE and asks you to move to 2D for no other reason than to thank you for your patronage... there are few tools in the crew's inventory that allow them to remedy customer service snafus and the in flight op-up is a valuable one, regardless of how seriously management takes them...
yes all of these things are forbidden and the crews doing them risk severe disciplinary measures... so thank goodness shenanigans like this will stop.

sometimes it's ok to look the other way and keep your lid shut, for the benefit of all...