Originally Posted by Dovster
When I flew AF MIA-CDG the FA went to the person sitting next to me and said to him (in English), "I understand you are a friend of _____." The man confirmed this.
She then told him, "We may have to move you back -- it's not certain yet."
He accepted this without argument but, as it turned out, was allowed to stay up front for the entire trip.
I have always wondered what that was all about.
I am not an FA or work for the airlines but I have several friends who do work for airlines. Airlines offer "buddy passes" that can be used for friends or family. The buddy does not have to be flying with the actual employee. The pass can be used for first or biz class if space is avaialable. The coach seat is also "space available" and not guaranteed. Just because the FA referred to him as "a friend of______" does not mean that this was an arbitrary upgrade at the request of a crew member as was implied with the start of this thread. It is simpler to say "a friend of _____" than it is to say "a buddy or family member of _____". The FA was just simply letting the person know that they might have to move back into coach if a rev-passenger shows up or an employee or buddy of an employee with higher status in the company wants to board. The employees have an employee number an seniority rules. He probably "accepted" this because he knew the rules of the game.
I flew MIA to CDG a few years ago on a PAID L'Espace D'affaires (biz class) seat on Air France. The chief purser was a long-time friend of mine coincidentally. He mentioned to his crew that I was on the flight as a funny coincidence. As PAX were boarding a couple of the FAs came by to say hi ask me about my trip to Paris blah blah blah. By sheer coincidence another PAX came by with the same exact seat assignment as mine. (I had already traded seats with a separated couple on their honeymoon so the coincidences are many). Now AF had 1-too-few biz class seats. The FA took me to meet the captain after she asked the captain if I could move up to the top of the 747 into first class (as I understand it the pilots of AF have to approve all upgrades to first class). She explained that I was already in biz on a paid biz class ticket and the situation with the duplicate boarding passes. She also mentioned that I was a friend of the chief purser. I was upgraded (fabulous) to first.
So in this situation I was a "friend" of an employee but the upgrade was not arbitrary. Someone had to move because coach was full, biz class was over by 1 (by accident) and first class had 5 empty seats (4 after I joined!).