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Rant: AA non revs seem to regularly take the good seats and overheads on my flights

Rant: AA non revs seem to regularly take the good seats and overheads on my flights

Old Jun 3, 2019, 12:38 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
I'm still not understanding the beef here.
People around here don't like it when other people have nice things because it makes them feel less special. You see, AA employees using a perk that they get through the job (non-rev seats) degrades the value of their ability to use a perk that they get through their jobs (employer-paid seats or award seats with points from employer-paid travel). What's not to understand?
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 12:57 pm
  #17  
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I don't know how all of this works exactly, but it seems that non-revs should always be put in Y and if they need to fill seats further forward they should "reward" AA elites for their loyalty by bumping them up rather than giving the seats away to employees traveling for free, no?
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #18  
 
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Programs: Does Non Rev count?
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Ok, so those darn, condescending non-revs at it again, eh? 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. I'm sure some of you will argue, but I have never seen anything other than this take place.

In 25 years of working for both CO and now United, and 10 years for my fiance at AA, never once have either of us been able to board non-rev at the expense of a passenger. Not once! Further, in all the years on non-reving, I think I was in Business First/Polaris exactly twice. Twice in 25 years. Most of the time I'm sitting at the gate, watching the plane leave, because it was sold out, and hoping the GA rolled me over to the next flight with an empty seat/jumpseat.

(Sorry for the caps, but good lord, this issue comes up way too often, and very few seem to understand the process, or insist it is always circumvented)
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 2:42 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by arlflyer
People around here don't like it when other people have nice things because it makes them feel less special. You see, AA employees using a perk that they get through the job (non-rev seats) degrades the value of their ability to use a perk that they get through their jobs (employer-paid seats or award seats with points from employer-paid travel). What's not to understand?
some people also don't like it when non-revs act stupid when flying in (somewhat) exclusive cabins, where people spend a good amount of money to sit in...
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 2:53 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by Gino Troian
some people also don't like it when non-revs act stupid when flying in (somewhat) exclusive cabins, where people spend a good amount of money to sit in...
Its the premium economy cabin. Its not the Harvard Club or the Maidstone Club.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 2:59 pm
  #21  
 
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<redacted>
Fixed that for you. Once the door closes, everybody that has an boarding pass with an assigned seat in a particular cabin has just as much right to be there as anybody else. That is official airline policy. If you think the travel policy is too generous, then either work for or marry somebody that also works in the industry.

Now, if any passenger (non rev or not) is legitimately disruptive or rude, by all means alert a flight attendant. Otherwise, stop being jealous of others and count your own blessings in life.
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Last edited by JDiver; Jun 3, 2019 at 10:01 pm Reason: Not acceptable to alter a quoted post
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 3:12 pm
  #22  
 
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Programs: Does Non Rev count?
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Originally Posted by standbyalldtime
Fixed that for you. Once the door closes, everybody that has an boarding pass with an assigned seat in a particular cabin has just as much right to be there as anybody else. That is official airline policy. If you think the travel policy is too generous, then either work for or marry somebody that also works in the industry.

Now, if any passenger (non rev or not) is legitimately disruptive or rude, by all means alert a flight attendant. Otherwise, stop being jealous of others and count your own blessings in life.
Can I up-vote, like and say AMEN!

Very well put, thank you...!!
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 3:13 pm
  #23  
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Personally I'd much rather have a non rev next to me. For practical reasons they must be on their best behavior. They won't bring a screaming baby. They often like to share gossip.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 3:19 pm
  #24  
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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.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 3:25 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by standbyalldtime
Fixed that for you. Once the door closes, everybody that has an boarding pass with an assigned seat in a particular cabin has just as much right to be there as anybody else. That is official airline policy. If you think the travel policy is too generous, then either work for or marry somebody that also works in the industry.

Now, if any passenger (non rev or not) is legitimately disruptive or rude, by all means alert a flight attendant. Otherwise, stop being jealous of others and count your own blessings in life.
Personally speaking (~100 flights a year, mostly long haul), the only disruptive passengers I've encountered have been non-rev's on AA - of whom I've reported and have been dealt with by AA. I know the majority of non-rev's are good and fine, but I guess I've just just had bad luck with the few bad apples out there.

Regardless, I still have my views on non-rev's in upper cabins, solely based on past experiences - for the longest time I didn't even know non-rev's were able to snag open seats in F/J!
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 3:44 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by Gino Troian
Personally speaking (~100 flights a year, mostly long haul), the only disruptive passengers I've encountered have been non-rev's on AA - of whom I've reported and have been dealt with by AA.
How do you know they were non-revs? Just curious.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 7:49 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
I don't know how all of this works exactly, but it seems that non-revs should always be put in Y and if they need to fill seats further forward they should "reward" AA elites for their loyalty by bumping them up rather than giving the seats away to employees traveling for free, no?
No. filler.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 9:29 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
I don't know how all of this works exactly, but it seems that non-revs should always be put in Y and if they need to fill seats further forward they should "reward" AA elites for their loyalty by bumping them up rather than giving the seats away to employees traveling for free, no?
Part of the problem is that "reward" your loyal fliers, fliers who are generally familiar with your product, and risk devaluing your product. Elites may be less likely to purchase premium products if they know there's a good chance they can get them for free. You really aren't advertising to new customers with the upgrade so you are mostly losing the revenue on it. There are other reasons and I'm sure there are pros to doing the upgrade. I think the most common reason given is simply to protect the revenue of the premium product.

Certainly even an elite who may not have flown int'l J or F might like it so much that they will pay in the future but the odds are that many elites are bought with business money and if the business allowed J or F purchases then the flier would be in J or F anyway. So if they're not and they aren't buying the ticket, there's pretty much zero chance that rewarding them will have any type of substantial ROI for the airline.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 10:47 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet;31166707[b
]I don't know how all of this works exactly,[/b] but it seems that non-revs should always be put in Y and if they need to fill seats further forward they should "reward" AA elites for their loyalty by bumping them up rather than giving the seats away to employees traveling for free, no?
Well.... from this thread alone you should have deduced that non-revs CAN and in fact by POLICY (and employment agreements presumably) ARE given seats in whatever cabins are available AFTER paying pax have been allocated seating. If you think that "seems" to be the wrong way to do it I suggest you write to the airline (and the employee unions) and make your case for change.
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 11:31 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by trooper
Well.... from this thread alone you should have deduced that non-revs CAN and in fact by POLICY (and employment agreements presumably) ARE given seats in whatever cabins are available AFTER paying pax have been allocated seating. If you think that "seems" to be the wrong way to do it I suggest you write to the airline (and the employee unions) and make your case for change.
Um, if we're all just supposed to "write to the airline/hotel and make our case for change" any time we don't like how an airline/hotel is doing business, and we're not allowed to come on here to analyze/discuss/vent/complain/hypothesize/etc., then FlyerTalk would have about 5 posts a day.
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