My word. If this was in the DL forum, there would be 15 pages to this thread and a "how dare they take my upgrade" every other post.

I would be willing to bet dollars to dimes that if these were AA pilots, they were on paid travel or a contract F/J travel clause. If they weren't AA pilots, I know I have sat next to a few dozen NetJets, CitationShares, (insert any fractional airline name) and they were a high tier FF that allowed them an upgrade. The last guy (netjets) I sat next to was on a DL flight from MCO and he joked about being on an airliner more than he actually flew a plane. I asked him why he didn't don a civilian shirt before he boarded, he told me they do that to get through TSA without question from other pax, especially if they are in a hurry to get to/from a client's or aircraft's location.