Fiordland

You don't know if that pilot is traveling on their own account or because they have been assigned to meet up with an aircraft to start work in a different city that where they normally work from.

canadiancow

FAs definitely do because they're not guaranteed J.

I think pilots do too, but with the same priority as a GTE revenue passenger. They're confirmed on the flight, but without a seat assignment. Though I could be wrong about this.

ACYYZ/SD

As do AC Pilots frequently in uniform while commuting. How would you know unequivocally if they are deadheading/positioning on Company Business?

ridefar

canadiancow

I'm sure our resident SD could chime in, but I'm almost positive an FA would never have priority over an eUp.

KenHamer

Deadheading pilots get J even before paid J passengers.

I wonder if they devalue the J cabin?

Allan38103

A lot of companies send their employees on business trips out of town, flying in premium class at company expense. Whenever you see an executive, celebrity, sports figure, etc. flying up front on someone else's dime, do you get jealous? Do you think, "that passenger is just taking someone's (or MY) legitimate upgrade.?" What about the flyer who pays for his/her own ticket for some reason?

So what's the big deal when an airline does it?

deadinabsentia

Because thats what their contract was negotiated. I'm sure wherever you work you have some benefits.
The same reason they are paid X, their medical benefits are Y, or retirement benefits are Z.

It's none of your business is the answer. It's in there contract.

Fiordland

We are talking about a company that is going to the market with a value proposition that "business class air travel" is worth the cost.

It would be odd if they chose to not actually make use of the service they are pitching in the marketplace for some of their more senior people. They trust the captain to manage a multi-million dollar piece of equipment and the lives of hundreds of passengers. I think that you could make the case that travel for someone with that authority is appropriate especially if they are expected to work as soon as they get off the flight.

canadiancow

The difference here is that from the perspective of the public, it's just as likely that there were some GA shenanigans (I have personally been impacted by this on AC, and the DL forum is full of it) where they decided to give a seat to a FA rather than the person on the eUpgrade list.

With pilots, it's harder to tell, because they could be deadheading, or they could be commuting, but a passenger cannot tell the difference.

When a senior manage of IBM is in J, you know IBM paid for it (one way or another). When a uniformed AC employee is in J, there's always a chance that they illegitimately took a seat away from an eUpgrader. I think that chance is very low, but it's non-zero.

And that's why threads like this exist.

pitz

Non R-space eUpgrades have always been completely discretionary. If upgradeability on eUpgrades was predictable outside of the R space process which provides a confirmation of such, rarely rescinded, then there is the risk that people will substitute revenue J travel for cheaper Y tickets.

I think a few posters are a bit butthurt that they haven't negotiated a J travel entitlement with their employers, and feel that AC should be making up for that somehow.

KenHamer

The benefits of a strong union.

Badenoch

Or some SEs are butthurt because their upgrades didn't always go through and resent being forced to sit in the back while pilots get the better seats.

ridefar

CZAMFlyer

I thought this board had overwhelmingly decided that there should be no room for discretion with Air Canada.