Originally Posted by
757FO
Let me be clear, as a frequent non-rev guy on both AA and my own airline, WE ONLY GET A SEAT ONCE EVERYONE ELSE HAS BOARDED. NON REVs DO NOT TAKE SEATS FROM PAYING PASSENGERS. If there is an employee who boards before any other zone, he/she is traveling on official business and therefore is positive space. PERIOD.)
This should be the last, final word on non-rev / pass travel. But in an age of scarcity for elite benefits, conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork to claim a sinister cabal of airline employees is stealing bin space that rightfully belongs to revenue customers.
Remember the rash of anecdotes about UA "Employee Class," a decade ago, where it seemed elites with ready upgrade instruments were told the front cabins were full, so sorry, only to find them chockablock with partying United people? That phenomenon seems to have seeded the delusion around here that all airlines' employees are commandeering seats and resources for themselves. Not true. Non-revs fly with chronic uncertainty, get last pick of available seats, and are never certain they're going anywhere until the plane pushes back.
Originally Posted by
arlflyer
People around here don't like it when other people have nice things because it makes them feel less special.
I've said it before: there are two kinds of frequent travelers. The kind that sees the airport / lounge / cabin as a shared community improved by generosity, and the kind that sees the environment as a death-match competition for perks and special treatment. For some of the latter, it is not enough merely to get the elite treatment; they must also observe others not getting it.