It's not ridiculous. People try this as a cheap way of getting both of them into business or first class, hoping that the person on the cheap ticket will get a free upgrade. The only weapon the airlines have against these cheapskates is to maintain cabin discipline. Otherwise "a few minutes" turns into half an hour, and then into "have you got an extra meal", etc. etc.

A number of friends of mine have done just this on Aeroflot's New York to Moscow service the last 10 years. Most recently was in 2003. $100 along with your boarding pass to the FA as you enter and he/she will show you to your seat. The price might have gone up now but it has been done and done often on that route particularly.

We have a friend that worked for Continental at the gate
she was fired for simply upgrading friends and family one time !! I don't think anyone would risk that for a few measly bux.Things are tighter now with explanations needed for the bean counters when these kind of goodwill gestures are performed
9-11 changes the empowerment and the generosity of years past
off topic
I have been bumped to first free a number of times as an elite when coach is full

So, how do these beancounters know?? do the other FAs tell on them??

They monitor everything today.Everything has to be substantiated
I was very surprised she wan't given another chance as this was as I understood it her first offense

Of course they can "visit" with each other...in coach!

I always say "It's free to ask." That is usually in reference to op-ups, but why not to bribes as well. You aren't stealing, they are. You are pulling out cash and asking for a better seat. No telling what they are typing into the computer, but if they accept, you are paying what they told you the upgrade cost. If they keep the money, it's stealing, but it's them stealing from their employer, not you from the airline. I see no problem with it, and if I were smooth enough, I'd try this as well.

The upgrade has to be processed, and someone likely saw the non-elite upgrades on a flight that wasn't oversold and started asking questions.

Processed? If you bribed them wouldn't they just tell a FA to set you sit in 1st or Biz? or would they get in big trouble for not processing it?

Also, if they are about to take off and the seats are empty, why would they get in trouble? if they know those sits will remain empty, regardless, wouldn't it not be a big deal to upgrade some folks complimentary RE: Airline Goodwill?

Ethical gymnastics.

Yeah. If you buy a car stereo with minor crowbar damage from some guy selling out of his trunk, you could make the same argument.

As for the gate telling the F/A to seat the pax in F, the F/A is going to want in on the action too, or will just report the agent. If you're going to bribe the F/A, you might as well do it directly.

As for why they don't fill up 1st, this has been long argued around here. The con argument is that if they make it too easy to get into F for cheap or free, people won't pay for F and will just take their chances on getting upgraded.

If I paid $1000+ for my F seat or earned my upgrade with 50,000+ BIS miles and then I see some guy upgraded for free, there's not going to be a lot of goodwill on my part towards the airline. If someone gets a last second upgrade legitimately, there is always some paper shuffling and the GA either comes on board or passes a new boarding pass to the FA, who escorts the passenger up front, so it would be pretty obvious if someone were getting the undocumented upgrade. And the FA would probably be fired.

I think its pretty likely that one could bribe their way up front on a non-US carrier though.

Why not go in to a restaurant and sit down at an empty table and ask them to bring you dinner for free since the table is empty and the food will go bad anyways?

Bad news for you
I have seen attractive folks flirt male and female and get it without a bribe
Just by being hot and friendly.For that matter I have seen Honeymooners bumped up, airline employees,and a number of other kinda sorta not so worthy folks with less then great reasons get to the front cabin.
On award ,buddy passes and consodlidator tickets.
I have even seen folks who were lower on the waiting list bump me off the list with lower elite preference over some unusual technicality.Like there were two seats and I was single so they gave it to the couple together
Once a waitlist gets in the hands of humans anything can happen.
While it is harder for the above to happen these days .It still can and does

I don't sweat it anymore if you are well connected good at flirting and charming more power to you.I take care of my own business and don't mind the creative or gifted.As long as they don't mess me up to bad
It is not always a fair world
Have no complaints thanks to our bright community and its sharing of information.
I have traveled for the most part brilliantly all over the world
And I enjoy the back of the cabin too sometimes where I sometimes meet the most interesting folks of all!

That's great to hear! It's like the new Jaguar ads, Gorgeous Trumps Everything. I'm glad I am one of the beautiful people

M8

Good take me with you as your ugly brother
Maybe they will have mercy on me