zcat18

Mods, please change thread title to "Middle manager upgraded before senior VP told to give F seat to superior"

Apologies--having iPad issues.

This happened to me today, and I was happy to oblige. I do understand executive privilege and optics. However, it still struck me as a bit over the top. Anybody else have a similar experience in the past? Just interested in people's thoughts.

sbm12

Who told you to do it?

I give others my upgraded seats from time to time but it is because I want to, not because I was compelled to.

danville 1K

Wouldn't have had to tell me, giving him or her the better seat would be a no brainer, unless you really disliked either your boss, or your job, or both.

zebranz

So you bought up for $20 and your boss (a GS with a gazillion miles using a SWU) was #2 on the list?

That's normal.

pkoo

Why? The airline is a completely separate entity. My company pays for my flights with which I gain status and better upgrades but I also fly a lot out of my own pocket which also contributes to my status.

Of course, depending on who is giving the command, you will probably have to oblige. But unless there is a clear agreement in your employment contract/company travel policy, I think it's total garbage. The OP might want to reevaluate his/her relationship with the employer.

zcat18

No, my group's senior VP and I are both 1k (she was demoted from GS this year). For whatever reason, she was behind me on the list. For the record, I know my company's culture well enough to know that I didn't need to be told to quietly give her the F seat in the event that I would be upgraded before her. However, my boss, who reports to her, felt compelled to remind me before heading to the airport this morning. It's an unusual situation, since we normally don't travel together.

zcat18

It is an unwritten rule. I do find this type of corporate political activity a bit silly and anachronistic, but I generally like the company I work for and the people I work with/for.

Doc Savage

What losers. Period. Exclamation point.

Not only is your upgrade stolen, but you lose the chance to be the good guy and give it up voluntarily.

Emma1420

I understand why it's expected, but I can't wrap my head around it personally. However, I suspect that is largely because when traveling with my boss or my CEO neither would hear of me trying to give them my upgrade anymore than they would give me their upgrade when they get one.

I do occasionally give an upgrade to another staff member, but it's typically a staff member who still thinks flying in F is really special.

Often1

A good "boss" would have thanked OP profusely and insisted that OP keep the UG. But, only OP can make the judgment as to whether the job is more important than the idiots for whom he works.

IncyWincy

Well, this can be looked at in a few ways - if say, a company buys a block of hotel rooms and the hotel provides a better room in the batch, suite or whatever, which happens often, the person responsible for distributing the rooms would give the best room to the top man/woman, although the rooms might have technically been allocated by the hotel to a different member of staff. Nothing really wrong with that. It is a batch purchase and the company pays for everything so it has the discretion to distribute. If staff at eg a school were to go to a conference, I can imagine that the Principal or Head gets distributed the best seat/room.

This is very different from, eg, where the staff all fork out themselves in which case it will be totally wrong for staff to be told, or even expected, to give his better room/seat to superior.

In any case, it is good manners to offer a better room or whatever to someone up the chain, to show respect. Likewise and especially so, as it is a lady boss, it is nice to give her a better room/seat.

On the other hand, if I were the boss, I will make it clear that it is not expected or necessary but might accept, depending on circumstances, but always graciously.

I won't see it as bullying or short-changing the junior member, but rather, it is a "your time will come" situation. You work your way up.

pkoo

Understood.

I get that in today's corporate culture, it's all about who you know and not what you know but having grown up in a family and extended family who all had military careers at some point in their life, I've become a firm believer in working for what you earn. So if I were a boss, I'd try to be the "good boss" like Often1 said and decline the offer. In fact, I would feel a bit uncomfortable if a subordinate would have offered his/her upgrade to me.

theddo

If it's a requirement for your boss to fly F, book it. If not I'm going to guess it's not important enough.

Sheikh Yerbooty

A good manager would have waived the upgrade, and plunked his or her posterior next to the boss down in coach, but only a small-minded boss would take offense at having a lower-ranking staff member upgraded ahead of him or her. As said upthread, if F-class travel is so important, pay the price and book the class. If not, suck it up like the rest of us.

LondonElite

+1

If someone who worked for me got upgraded and I didn't it would never even occur to me to expect them to give it up for me. And if they did I would insist they keep their seat.

The OP's middle manager sounds like a real cow, quietly reminding the OP that, in the event an upgrade happens it goes to the boss?! Give me a break!