Plane Answers: "When did first class become the crew lounge?"

by Kent Wien Apr 18th 2008 @ 10:00PM

Welcome to Gadling's latest feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from take off to touch down and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away!

Dennis asks:

As one who travels somewhat frequently for business and pleasure, I have taken notice recently of just how pervasive it has become for United Airlines (the carrier I usually fly) to seat airline employees dressed in full uniform (most probably dead heading to the next hub) in the First Class cabin, even though in many cases there are ample seats available in economy. Somehow I get a little offended by this. At the very least, wouldn't it be a show of goodwill if space is indeed available to upgrade paying customers at the gate and let the crew sit in back? Is this a common practice amongst all airlines? What are your comments on this topic?

Thanks for the question, Dennis.

While I can't speak for United Airlines, I can give a little background on this practice as it relates to my airline. Employees have negotiated improvements to their benefits as they relate to non-revenue travel and deadheading while at work.

For us, non-revenue coach travel is free for employees with at least five years of employment. If the employee would like to travel in first class, a fee is assessed. In either case, the employee is responsible for the taxes normally applied to airline tickets as well as a separate income tax on this benefit.

Deadheading employees are often used to fill gaps in coverage at other bases or if one of their legs of a trip has cancelled. These employees can put themselves on the upgrade list online or while at the gate.

In both of the above cases, crews are offered seats up front only after all first class revenue passengers and frequent flyer upgrade requests have been met. These seats would have otherwise gone unfilled. Pilots and flight attendant unions often negotiate these benefits, and airlines are willing to use them to attract new employees.

I discussed this policy with a gate agent today and she explained that some confusion occurs when passengers that request to use an upgrade voucher give up and decide to take their originally assigned coach seat during the boarding process. Usually the agents wait for no-show passengers before processing the upgrade requests, and if a passenger elects to take their seat in the back they're unable to go on board and move that passenger up to first class.

Airlines are hesitant to upgrade coach passengers even with empty seats in first class probably because they don't want remove any incentive for travelers to pay for that premium seat.

Employees have sacrificed their pay and work rules for the past seven years--often helping their airlines pull through some tough times. I hope you don't fault them if they're sitting in an otherwise unused first class seat every now and then.

On a somewhat related note, my Irish friend Ruthann provided me with a story that might just work for you if you're out of upgrade vouchers:

Several years ago, a sales department (frequent travelling) co-worker of mine was passing through LAX on his way back to Ireland when he decided to try his chances with the AA desk clerk and charm her with his Irishy Irishness. He put on his best leipreachán accent and requested an upgrade to first class.

The lady seemed to flirt with him, and was very happy to upgrade the remainder of his trip to first class for free. It was love at first sight, at least for her. He promised her the world, being the funny, jokey charmer that he is. He came back and boasted to us all about the AA clerk he'd charmed into a free upgrade.

A few days later, he got a long distance call. She had kept his info and phoned him, just to see if he got to Ireland safely...

Several years later and they're due to get married soon.

So there you go. But you might want to proceed with caution if you don't have the requisite Irish Irishyness!

Filed under: Plane Answers

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Apr 18th 2008 @ 11:59PM

Mike said...

Haha, i think the crew deserves the seat in first. I was flying from Adelaide to Sydney a few weeks back in business class and had a cathay pacific captain next to me. He had flown all night from Hong kong and had to be repositioned to Sydney to fly back to Hong Kong. For his sanity, i cant imagine how terrible that would have been if he was stuck in the back of economy.

Just a note - i really enjoy your blog!

Apr 19th 2008 @ 5:39AM

Eli said...

Dennis you obviously haven't worked in the service industry. Working with customers is hard work, I can only imagine it's even harder stuck in a crowded airplane for several hours. Flying first class is the least an airline can do for there flight crew.

Apr 19th 2008 @ 5:04PM

d said...

As one of those uniformed crew members who occasionally gets to sit in the forward cabin, I have to say I'm getting a bit sick of the constant belly-aching by customers who seem to always want something for free. Not that I'm complaining...but try working under some of the conditions that I do, deal with some of the unreasonable passengers that I do, and make the salary that I do after 20 years of service and then get back to me and tell me again that we don't deserve a premium seat every now and then. If you want a premium seat, pay for it. This is the company I work for and these are my benefits. Don't you have some at your company??

Apr 23rd 2008 @ 4:50AM

DJ said...

OH PLEASE, obviously if you have been doing it for 20 years, you certainly can't complain or you should have QUIT many years ago. I get sick of all the cabin crew griping about their hard work, rude passengers, etc. When will you realize that being a flight attendant is a SERVICE INDUSTRY job, hence CUSTOMER SERVICE for the entire time you are on that flight working. Every job has some lousy moments, but when you are in a service related job, you have to expect them regularly. It's no different than serving food at TGI Friday's or saying "what size and color" in a department store. You all think you are so far above everyone else, but it's a job that really doesn't impress anyone anymore, because most of you are just as rude as the passengers and provoke them. So don't use your job that you say has lousy pay, that you've done for 20 years, as an excuse to sit up front when you're not working. Maybe it's a perk, and good for you, but quit complaining about the job you VOLUNTEERED to do.

Apr 20th 2008 @ 7:54AM

Dennis said...

Contrary to Eli's assumption, I have worked in the service industry most of my adult life. I am a healthcare professional on the front lines of customer service every day who knows first hand the demands, rewards, pitfalls, and ultimate satisfaction of the profession I have chosen. Many of the people I encounter every day must be handled with golden (and sometimes teflon) kid gloves. I truly understand the need for employees in any service related industry to be given a few nice perks along the way and a resounding "Atta'boy" with more regularity than sometimes those props are handed out, airline employees included. That being said, in an era when airline customer satisfaction and performance benchmarks are at an all time low, I do not think I am alone in seeing irony when, at the point of service, an airline employee is being offered the best available ammentities while those in the tourist section have an increasingly difficult time being offered a bag of pretzels. In my opinion, a little goodwill free gratis goes a long way equally for a customer and employee.

Apr 20th 2008 @ 12:47PM

Beth said...

If you fill up the first class cabin with paying coach customers you're left with the dilemma of ticking off the customers who AREN'T selected to sit in the first class cabin. I know I would personally be more offended if the airline selected 5 random coach passengers to sit in first class instead of 5 airline employees. Free flights has always been a perk of the airline industry and most people are aware of this.

My father worked in the airline industry for 37 years for the same airline and he was a loyal, happy employee due to the perks that he was given. His employment however was all pre-9/11 (he was offered early retirement one month after 9/11) and many of those same perks he used to have are now no longer provided for airline employees (he never had to pay for a non-rev first class seat).

Given that these crew members were dressed in uniform and were undoubtedly on their way to or from their job, I think it more than fair to grant them the opportunity to sit in a comfortable seat to make them happy and content and put them in a good enough mood to be able to gracefully deal with rude, difficult customers. Given that those people probably fly more than the average person and their moods can drastically affect our own in-flight experience, I'd be safe to say that they more than the paying customer deserve some R&R.

Apr 20th 2008 @ 11:07PM

Bill w said...

As a retired airline employee, i can tell you we try to look out for each other, if possible. When i had a long day, i would wait for the next flt, specifically for First Class seating. I don't believe, anyone was ever denied a F/C seat because of me. But, i can also tell you that the pilots (gods) do not expect to be seated in the back, no exception. Period. Pity the poor gate attendant that would try that............

Apr 21st 2008 @ 6:34PM

rrrobert said...

Dennis,

Kent Wien does an admirable job of addressing your comments. As a pilot for the very airline you’ve singled-out, perhaps I may be able to provide additional perspective.

As you may know, employee travel accommodations, both on-duty and off-duty, are governed by contract. Specifics differ from airline to airline, and within each airline, from craft to craft. It is important to realize that these travel accommodations are NOT “perks.”

1. For all non-revenue passengers, seat assignment is determined based upon a rather long list of criteria.
2. Working crewmembers deadheading TO an assignment are often contractually entitled, and in some cases obliged, to a seat in First or Business class. This actually benefits you, the passenger. After all, you DO want your crew to be as well-rested as possible before taking control of your flight...don’t you?
3. With very few exceptions, non-working crewmembers are eligible for seating only after ALL revenue passengers have been accommodated..
4. Your personal experience is intriguing. You observe that the presence of crewmembers in the First Class cabin has recently become “pervasive” (interesting choice of words). In fact, with average passenger load factors having reached unprecedented high levels in the past three years, it has become extremely rare for airline employees to get a First Class seat except when required by contract. Surely you are aware that many employee groups, especially those working for United, sacrificed some or all of their contractual First Class seating privileges to help “save” their airlines from liquidation a few short years ago, (in addition to deep pay cuts, pension loss, etc.).

On a related note, I recently compared the figure that my employer has established as being the dollar value of my travel benefits, to the actual value that I realized from the use of those benefits last year. A round trip from SFO to DFW cost me $1344.52 in compensation. And that was for a middle seat in economy on one flight and a window seat in economy on the return leg. Perk, what perk?!

It is amusing that you are actually offended by the presence of “hired help” in the First Class cabin. While the airline business may be considered a service industry, its employees are not servants. Perhaps you would have them enter through the back door and eat in the kitchen? Maybe airports should install separate drinking fountains as well. But seriously…

Dennis, airline crewmembers truly like and value our loyal customers, and especially appreciate those who are savvy enough to see the big picture. I certainly hope that we can number you among the latter and thank you for your understanding.

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 2:02AM

Frederik said...

Is this Ruthann guy for real? His blog states that his age is 22. I mean, wow!, when did he begin working?

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 9:32AM

Kent Wien said...

Ruthann is an Irish lady. She's an aviation nut and photographer friend, who was relating the story as it was told to her.

I should have been more clear about that.

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 10:45AM

Frederik said...

Yikes, still if Ruthann did meet her fiance a few years back, I guess she started working when she was in her late teen/young adult. Well, at least being a desk clerk for AA might not be as stringent as being a frequently traveling sales person. You definitely have to be a seasoned employee first before you get the chance to wander around.

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 11:17AM

Kent Wien said...

Ruthann was relating a story about this couple. She's not an AA agent, nor is she marrying one. As she says:

>>a sales department (frequent travelling) co-worker of mine>>

Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 9:30PM

Frederik said...

Oh okay. That clarifies everything then. I could not imagine a woman working as a desk clerk for an airline company when people of her age are still at college. Technically it might be possible but I guess there will be so many sacrifices to make things work out.

Apr 22nd 2008 @ 8:32AM

Emma Leigh said...

I wouldn't begrudge an airline employee a seat in First Class at all. If they are expected to work at the end of the flight in question, I believe they should get priority seating in FC. Like someone said previously, I wouldn't want them worn out before they start work. I was really surprised to hear that you have to pay for your seats - that is just crazy.

Apr 23rd 2008 @ 11:59AM

Vasco Rodrigues said...

Dennis,

It is too bad that you feel offended by this! May I remind you that the fares that you are paying today, are a lot lower then 15-20 years ago because the airline employees are subsidizing it with their ever lowering salaries, lost pensions and benefits.
The truth is, passengers today, want everything for nothing, you want first class, just pay for it!
Another big reason for pilots being in first class is that they are taking mandatory flight crew rest on long flights.
They are there because the FAA, while requiring that they take their crew rest, does not mandate that aircraft be built with real crew rest facilities for flights between 8-12hrs.
Wouldn't you rather have a well rested pilot flying your plane?
Now, are you still offended?

Apr 23rd 2008 @ 6:37PM

Heather said...

Hey, we pay for that seat...with our blood sweat and tears!

Heather
Just another flight attendant writing about flying (and other stuff) www.shouldbewriting.blogspot.com

Apr 24th 2008 @ 9:07AM

Rachel said...

I totally think that employees deserve first class seats if they would otherwise be empty, and for certain if they came off a long-haul flight like the one poster commented.

I think the frustration is that I am not yet another passenger "trying to get something for free". I have over 100,000 miles on about 5 different airlines, and have YET to find a seat that is available for an upgrade in years of frequent air travel (Even if they are empty, they will leave them to be revenue seats costing about $5000 for transatlantic upgrades than fill them with miles upgrades). I know 100k is not the top of the pile, but its not nothing for airlines that I fly every other month across the Atlantic. Upgrades are complimentary on most US domestic flights (at least at my status) but so so scarce on the int'l flights which I fly most.

I definitely don't think this is the fault of a few pilots sitting in first class, but I have certainly found myself frustrated about the complete inability to use the miles that are supposedly so flexible and rewarding.

Jun 7th 2008 @ 5:30AM

b said...

i think pilots do deserve to sit in first class when they're deadheading to an assignment. after all, would u want ur pilot to be all tired and cranky from having to sit in a coach seat for 4 hours prior to taking the controls or being well rested after a good nap in a first class seat. this is probably only an issue on 767s and smaller planes. the 777 and 747 have their own crew rest areas which seem adequately comfortable. no flight attendants nagging you for whatever reason, no obnoxious passengers to deal with, just pure rest.