When you work for United, you are given the right to fly FREE.

Here's how the DM works (Departure Management List).

If you are a Premier, Premier Exec, or 1K and request an upgrade, you are put on the list under the PUG list. This list sits on the VERY top and you have priority for upgrades. This list is cleared 20 minutes PRIOR to departure, sometimes more. Then United goes down the list to BP1 - 10 based on what they are doing. BP1 and BP2 tend to be reserved for POSITIVE SPACE travelers, such as pilots or flight attendants going back to their base on the company dime.

If you are flying standby for an earlier or later flight, you are normally a BP5 on the list, which only clears you for the CLASS OF SERVICE booked, not any open seat that is on the others.

If you are an employee traveling on LEISURE, you become a BP8A-C. A is for employees, their dependents, and flying partner. B is for employees traveling with more than 1 buddy pass (which is now on hold), and C is for United Express employees, and buddy pass holders.

BP9 and 10 are reserved for other airline employees, low life travel agents like myself, and others.

So United clears this list by status and will take any open seat, so you are probably seeing deadheading flight crews going home, as FastAir defaults to the First Class section, then business, then coach.

Hope this clears it up for you.

Nate