Originally Posted by GradGirl
I don't think anyone here is saying that the air marshals themselves are big jerks. At least, I'm not saying that. We are saying that the air marshal program confiscates some of the best seats on an aircraft and that the program doesn't live up to its supposed mission of making flying safer. Many people feel less safe knowing there's a gun on board, and especially less safe knowing it's plain as day who's got the gun.
As for dead-heading, well, since it's a secret program, we don't really know whether dead-heading air marshals are allowed to choose their seats and flights. This makes it hard to evaluate whether we should castigate the individual air marshals for taking premium seats when they're not on duty.
There is nothing secret about off duty air marshal's. They are off duty. Early on several tried to use their positions to get free "bennies" and upgrades. It ended up costing them their jobs. The airline industry keeps track of this very well, and anytime a FAM has tried to do this based upon being a FAM, HQ has heard the phone ring very quickly from the Airlines Corporate Office. Could a FAM have a friend or contact within the airline and get some "special" treatment. Could happen. Just like happens all the time with a wide variety of people in the world. If they get caught accepting these special favors from their friends, it would be their job. Again, the Airline Corporate Offices watch this like hawks, and if was an ongoing problem of off duty air marshal's showing up, claiming seats for themselves, and valued frequent flyers were being denied benefits due to this, it would be up before HQ, and congress in a heart beat. The airline industry has a powerful lobby, and the ear of many lawmakers.