Originally Posted by
ChrisA330
Entitled customers (paid or upgraded) will not be bumped from a J class seat and AFAIK, the upgrade list at the gate is cleared before employees are cleared into J class - which would explain why crew were milling around the gate.
I have had upgrades for travel mates, on the list before and at the gate, declined while F/A were put in J in the past. For example, YUL-CDG. GA was unapologetic when asked why.