Originally Posted by DENviaLAX

Sure, but then you're just getting into semantics. They tried generating more revenue buy offering a buy up, and you deemed it not worth it. They could have offered a buy up for $50 or even $1, and it still would've technically generated a little extra revenue. But then, that's also vastly devaluing the product and, in my opinion, would make people less likely to pay full price for it if the ability to get it so cheap at check-in were a possibility. Maybe they view a $600 figure the same.

Either way, the travel privileges afforded to employees are a benefit that employees have earned. So as long as no eligible customers were bypassed (and it doesn't sound like they were), then employees have every right to use their flight benefits to get the best left over seats on that plane.

United and other airlines, in a way, are very fortunate that they're able to offer their employees such a great and unique perk for employment. It's a way to keep wages down and, in turn, produce greater profits (and therefore, in theory, lower fares for customers). Make no mistake about it, if it weren't for the travel benefits airline employees enjoy, it'd take a major increase in wages to get people to work for them. Especially cabin crew who need to commute. I imagine a great number of airline industry employees wouldn't even consider a career in the field if it weren't for those travel benefits, and that would be a huge problem for airlines in the struggle to be profitable. So in my personal opinion, everyone who complains about employee travel benefits, in a general sense, needs to look at the bigger picture. Again, as long as there are no shenanigans happening and everything is copacetic.