RDURES1:

A couple of years ago I read in a paper about the practice of booking bogus F/C seats in order improve chances to get a standby upgrade, and the airline's efforts to identify the guilty party and insure that they remained in their proper place.

Do you have any knowledge about this unethical practice that you would care to share with us?

Years ago (Before elite upgrades) I was on a UA flight when a man sat in the F/C seat in front of me. A little later another passenger came on and told the man that he was sitting in his assigned seat. the first man got up, and without a word moved back to the coach section. I was puzzled by this until it was explained to me later that sometimes people would make a reservation and request a seat assignment under a phoney name, saying that they would buy the ticket at the airport. This was done with the hope that the seat would remain unsold, and that the passenger would be able to remain in the undeserved seat.