I did not have that impression. mind you, might not be easy to tell. But the people at least did not look like cabin crew.

BTW I would have thought it would be against policy to move anyone, not just employees?

Although on other airlines, namely LH and Aegean, I have been invited to join my wife in front a couple of times. With LH, after she asked; the SD asked the captain for approval. On Aegean my wife was the only pax in front and i was in the first Y row.

Yes the Company has taken away that discreation for any In-Charge to move someone from Y to J once the aircraft door closes. Only in very rare cases and needs to be supported such as someone being sick beside the pax etc. and no other seats available would be an out for the In-Charge to move someone upfront. The Employee Empowerment that they were given years back is really now bring scrutanized a lot now...they never know who might be watching someone being moved up and/or if there is a mystery shopper onboard.

I question that, two of my recent flights the SD moved up what was clearly a fellow FA in non work attire.

That he did does not necessarily mean it's not against policy though.

Well that is a Big No No and if there was let's say another SE onboard and/or MM'er and they write it into the Company that In-Charge is scr*wed big time...IMO its not worth the SD's risk in doing something like that!

Really, who cares if extra peoplw were moved up? As long as the waitlist was handled properly, it's the company's concern, certainly not the pax.

That is how I see it as well.^

There were a few flights over the years where pax have been moved up.On a SFO/YVR flight it was a weight and balance issue,IIRC on an E90 a/c. 2 pax moved up while holding just short of the active runway