What sob stories. I don't hear him sobbing, just *****ing about something that happened to him (as are like 75% of all posts on FT it would seem these days). I know several people of different "darker" ethnic backgrounds that have gotten a lot of grief the last two years, believing that it doesn't happen doesn't make it go away.

Then again I had something similar happen about 3-4 years ago on a Sabena flight. My seat was taken by a woman and the next two by her children. The FA was called oevr and basically told me to take another seat (didn't even ask for either of our boarding passes). As the row behind what was mine (BTW this was Euro style business) was free, I suggested that these three move back. The FA szaid they didn't have to.

To make a long story short, the woman was the Ambassador's wife and two kids and the Captain had told the FA to "take care" of them. I raised bloody hell with the Captain, got my seat back, the wife was put in the seat behind me (her original one) and the kids banished to economy.

Again, when the FA said "ok, go take an empty seat in coach - we have to leave now" there is no room for argument, whether or not you are in the right. You have to comply with a crewmember instructions or else you wind up in trouble. Such is the reality.

Well, as someone who has also suffered occasional discrimination because of my skin color/ethnic heritage (though being born/raised in LA gives me a very obvious Californian accent which usually solves the problem once I get a chance to speak) I do believe that this kind of stuff happens more often than people are willing to admit.

However, that being said, in this kind of situation I'd simply say "right, let me just write down your name for when I contact World HQ with my notice of a discrimination lawsuit."

Nothing gets people to pay attention more quickly than the fear of getting in serious trouble (i.e., JOB LOSS) for making a dumb decision that they're being called on.

Okay, everyone, I've been reading this thread, and I'd like to answer some questions and respond to some statements that have been made.

*I* sneak into First Class every chance I get. As a matter of fact, I've never been asked to move by a flight attendant. The only downside is that sometimes First Class is full, and then I've got no room in coach for my bags. So I take care of that now by asking at the gate if First Class is full. If it is, I get on ASAP. Another thing is that I don't hang around the gate until they call final boarding. That would make me look suspicious. I stand a couple gates down and then it looks like I was almost late to my gate.

In a week I'll be trying it on an international flight to Seoul.

If you have questions about how it works, or why I've never been caught, fire away. I will say that if I was ever asked to move, I'd move imediately and quietly.

Well, good luck. I don't think I've ever been on a long-haul flight in biz where they haven't checked the manifest (for names, requests, meals, etc.)

It's amazing that the FAs let people get away with this. If I were an FA, I'd be checking the manifest every flight. If nothing else, I'd just enjoy busting people trying to steal an upgrade.

d

I had a friend who did this all the time - and got away with it at least 75% of the time. A very good looking guy, with Charm (with a capital C), who had no shame about flirting with either male or female FAs - alot of the time, he would find a phone number pressed into his hand shortly before landing. Personally, I'd be too mortified to try it - I get embarassed if I'm sitting in the wrong seat, off by just one row.

I flew LAX-SYD last month (Qantas), and business was virtually empty (I think there were 7 of us). In the middle of the night, one guy came down from upper deck, and sat next to his friend... and proceeded to fall asleep after about half an hour of chatting. When breakfast came, the FA's actually made him go back upstairs to eat. (He asked twice to stay; they were polite, but adamant).

Personally, I didn't understand what the fuss was, but I would think that it would have been EXTREMELY unlikely that he would have gotten away with it on that flight!

In my mind it is easier to do on HP than UA or AA.

[QUOTE=Analise}

By sitting in a seat for which you have not paid, you are in fact stealing first-class service.[/QUOTE]

So I guess that time I was upgraded from Y to J last-minute on a flight from CGK to HKG in December I was stealing a seat. Ohhhh

When I think back to the days of steerage on transatlantic ocean liners, I'm certainly rooting for the guy from steerage sneaking up to 1st class. I'm sure most would agree (see Titanic). This is the same idea, isn't it? In 100 years they'll look back at this issue the same way we look back at old-time ocean liners.

Although I have not done this, I look at sneaking up as admirable.

There is no deception or threat involved. Until the flight attendant asks you to move, you've engaged in no deception of any kind. Now, along with other stories people here have posted - if a problem arises and you say something along the lines of "my boarding pass is buried in my carry-on" or if the flight attendant asks you if you are supposed to be traveling in FC today and you reply in the affirmative - THOSE are examples of deception. If you move to your proper seat when the flight attendant asks you to, without ever uttering any misrepresentation that you are supposed to be traveling in FC, then there is no deception.

It's the same as if right before take-off, I move to an exit row seat that's open. It's not the seat I paid for and I didn't have the capability of reserving that particular seat because I'm not enough of an "elite" - but is it "stealing" ? No.

No deception involved? The person is sitting in a seat / class for which they have not paid.

de�ceit
n.
: deliberate and misleading concealment, false declaration, or artifice.
Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, � 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

con�ceal
tr.v.
To keep from being seen, found, observed, or discovered;
Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

dec�la�ra�tion
n. 1. An explicit, formal announcement, either oral or written.
Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Is it dishonest to take a FC seat when you haven't paid for one? Yes. Is it deception? No.
There has to be an extra step involved for it to be deceit. You have to lie to the flight attendant. If you're just sitting in that seat in full view of the flight crew, there is NO deception as they're perfectly able (as MANY have related in this thread, both of personal experiences and those that they've observed) of questioning the passenger and/or checking the manifest and dealing with the situation if they so wish.

steal 1 a : to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully

I hope you're joking