porciuscato

The 100% method identifies those as well. But I can tell you they almost never sit in coach.

kale73

The 100% method being, I assume, "attempting to hijack the plane".

garykung

FWIW - it is not how the system is designed.

While there may be some bad apples, you can't simply eliminate employee travel privilege because of that.

How about award travel?

AFAIK - UA is not the only airline doing this.

And as you have said - you can find a job at UA to overcome this.

codex57

Man, the drama and snark on here is great. And the thing is, I like everyone on both sides of the fence. Y'all are much more likeable than the tools that populate a certain company's section on a water based travel forum I also frequent.

johnden

Keeping these things quiet/secret only embraces the status quo. Outing the Air Marshall for being easily spotted is prob the most important thing we can do to ensure the success of the Air Marshall program.

I've definitely spotted a few, esp as they usually prefer the same seats, and their training, at least from my perspective, is the exact opposite of typical undercover work. Their training seems to emphasize acting in flight like they are on the clock but not nervous, always booking the same seats, limited interaction with others, boarding earlier than any other passenger, chatting with the flight crew more seriously than other passengers or off-duty pilots, often obvious weapon when standing, and seemingly always fitting into the same demographic. I've seen a few that I was sure about skipping meals (or eating them very fast), drinks, TV and sleep. It's really very sad that no one has figured out how to run an undercover program yet.

Edit: Perhaps I missed something, maybe they want to be visible to those paying attention, but invisible to those occupied with their own thoughts. A better deterrent that way?

porciuscato

Good point. Look for the hard plastic "football." The fact that it has a GSA bar-code is a bit of a giveaway. LOL.

warrenw

Yeah I know most airlines do it.

I think awards are different because the person has collected enough miles to do it. I've never flown a flight on an award because I'm usually trying to make 1K, but I don't mind people who are, I mean after all miles/points can kind of be seen as a form of currency.

zombietooth

Sometimes they "out" themselves:
On a recent international flight, a cocky tough-looking guy boarded very late and the purser had to eject a pax from the back row (center section) of the front cabin in J to seat him. I thought nothing of it initially until later when I was stretching, out of the guy's line of sight near the galley, while he was chatting-up an attractive and young FA who had been swapped-in at the last minute due to the flu taking down the scheduled FA (surreptitiously overheard as well).

He was really bragging about his prowess as a FAM, and both he and the FA were laughing about the "poor" guy who got sent back to Y because they needed 2 FAMs on the flight-thereby outing his partner as well.

fgirard

And I have a feeling that the passenger was not offered downgrade compensation.

warrenw

So there are two FAM's on every intl flight? Or just certain ones?

laxmillenial

certain. some routes more than others. You could speculate and be fairly accurate on the routes if you really tried.

clubord

fezzington

clubord