I frequently see high value customers putting American Airlines on blast for upgrading pilots to first class ahead of paying customers. The usualy response is that the passenger feels like they’d be better off loyal to a different airline, not realizing that this has become an industry standard practice.
In fact, American’s contractual policy is less generous than at United, Delta or Alaska Airlines. The upgrades are just done at the gate in a way that’s more obvious to customers, so it’s American’s customers who complain about it more. And regardless of airline it does point to the broader issue of whom the industry is being run for, customers or the pilots union?
I should point out that first class seats for pilots who are deadheading (traveling on duty to go operate a flight) is not necessary for ‘pilot rest’. These are duty hours, which are limited both by contract and federal regulation. It’s time that would otherwise be spent sitting in the cockpit.
I enjoy when @AmericanAir gives the open First Class seat to a pilot rather than a paying customer.
And we know pilots game the system.
Isom needs to go. As does the 💩💩💩 that prioritizes the employee or $15 upgrade over paying customers.
AA loyalty means nothing anymore.
— Sean O'Dell (@theseanodell) June 18, 2026
United gave their pilots first class deadheading during the pandemic, to get the union to agree to allow them to keep all pilots current and flying and not have to furlough any members of the union. Then the 2023 collective bargaining agreement locked this in.
- First class at booking. If First isn’t available, then the pilot is set to auto-upgrade ahead of all upgrading passengers if First later opens up, unless the deadhead booking is made within 3 hours of departure (then it follows the normal upgrade process).
- For long haul flights, revenue passenger downgrades can happen. United can overbook the premium cabin to accommodate a pilot in some cases, and when overbooked the pilot must be boarded in the premium cabin and may not be downgraded to economy.
- Pilots are ahead of complimentary upgrade passengers for downgrades to coach. If first class is oversold, or a plane is swapped to one with a smaller first class cabin, complimentary upgrade passengers have to be downgraded before pilots.
- Customers rarely see this play out. Because pilots riding up front gets driven by booking logic and auto-processing, elites experience it as “upgrades were never available” rather than “a pilot jumped ahead of me and took my upgrade.”
Delta also gives priority to deadheading pilots, offering business class (or first if no business cabin) on international and transoceanic flights. Domestically, they get “Comfort Plus if available at time of booking” and first “for 3-hour or greater flight segment preceding a working flight segment or a redeye.”
If the required seat class isn’t available when the deadhead is created, a pilot is automatically upgraded before any passenger if a higher class becomes available.
The reason most of the attention has gone to pilots upgrading to first class on American Airlines is because of the visible way they do it.
- American Airlines deadheading pilots get business class for transoceanic and coach for domestic.
- At the gate, though, deadheading pilots are placed at the top of the upgrade queue. They clear ahead of elites for upgrades.
- Given the timing, and where customers see available seats and where they are on the list, it’s obvious that a pilot is taking the seat they expected to receive. Passengers literally watch the pilot upgrade happen.
Here’s the American Airlines policy which implements its 2023 contract:
Ironically, the least pilot-friendly on paper policy for ‘pilots trump passengers in first class’ is American’s because the default is coach travel on domestic flights, with premium cabin access coming out of what’s left of available seats at the airport. But because the process is visible to customers, American gets more heat for this than others.
Readers are often sympathetic to pilots traveling up front because they ‘want well-rested pilots’ but that is what FAA rest rules are for and this is time usually spent working in the tiny room at the front of the plane.
ALL US domestic airlines do this so what does it matter when it happens. Bottom line if you’re number one on the list and there’s a deadheading pilot you ain’t getting that seat.
How to avoid this? Buy first outright or purchase the upgrade offer. Then you won’t have to worry or think about it. Or get to the gate at T-45 hoping that green check goes up by your name.
Next union contract the flight attendants deadheading will also request first class seats. As stated buy a first class ticket or up grade. Things change.
This is not exactly true for Delta. Not sure the scenario but delta customers do receive first class upgrades when available. As far as pilots it’s just like any employee stands opportunity to get best available seat after Loyalty members requesting a upgrade. Number of seats and party size definetly affect getting an upgrade.. In regards to American Air Lines I purchased a first class seat on a flight that was cancelled and was not rebooked in the same class. AA doesn’t board non medallion members in First Class first which is weird.
Domestic airlines are screaming that loyalty doesn’t matter but customers aren’t listening. First class has gotten so expensive you can often fly on a shared charter flight for less and enjoy real luxury
Gone are the days where I would routinely see a Southwest pilot voluntarily stuff himself in a middle seat – the customer came first.
I also saw a Southwest pilot carpet sweep the cabin during a short layover as the plane came from Disneyworld and there was cracker & cookie crap everywhere? He did invite me to the cockpit for 10+ minutes once he finished.
Gone are the days we stopped to decide… to do the right thing. Now its an automatic “no.”
Hey, if the pilot isn’t part of the business proposition, put the pilot up front. That person isn’t incentivized to increase load factors, so why should we penalize that person? At the end of the day, we’re talking about a larger seat and a crappy meal. Plus, that person has training in how to make people in C/J behave properly.
If airlines were serious about providing adequate rest to their pilots, they would extend the positive space first class upgrade provision to commuters a well.
Everyone wants something for nothing.
@rod, why would AA upgrade medallion members?
@george Romney, you are right.WFBF.
It’s in the pilot contract. AA does their level best to sell every seat in first so pilots don’t get the upgrade. Bitch about something else.
Gary is correct that deadheading pilots are burning 117 duty time. However, a better seat can make a difference between a fatigue call and pressing on with the next flight when schedules are run tight, hotels are noisy, pilots are big run to the ragged edge of legality.
@George – You said it: screw those poors. It’s their own fault they’re poor. They should have been born properly rich but since they can’t – let them eat cake.
The airlines need to fix this. The policy to upgrade employees ahead of paying passengers makes no sense, and it is detrimental to the interests of the company and the employees!
The company gave it away at a time of low demand because they thought it was low cost. Of course the employees like it, but it is of lower value to the employee than to a customer for several reasons. The employee flies frequently, so there is not an exceptional experience. The employee cannot drink alcohol and likely is tired of the meal. The employee will get special treatment by the flight attendants wherever seated.
The upgraded seat has higher value to the customer than the employee.
It sends totally the wrong message to customers when employees are sitting in the first class cabin – how are you using my fares? Why do the employees sit up there? And whatever you think, customers can tell. The employees board early. Their bags are already in the bins. The CREW tags are visible. Even when the employees are not in uniform.
A proper airline that cares about customers does not upgrade employees ahead of customers. And definitely does not downgrade customers who have a seat assignment for the benefit of employees.
The airlines need to fix this. It was stupid to agree to it in the first place.
Which is exactly why I’m on a Delta flt back to LAX. As lifetime EXP with over 6 million miles, status has become irrelevant & since I’m now purchasing 1st, I go with the airline with the best schedules & fares & more often than not, lately, outside of using miles, it’s not AA
For all the pilots and industry apologists who say that the pilots need a comfortable seat or will perform better after luxuriating in a first class seat:
They aren’t guaranteed the first class seat and are expected to perform after a flight in coach, so it’s not a requirement and having it some random portion of the time is not a safety factor.
If paying passengers are expected to be comfortable in a coach seat, why not a a pilot? If it’s not good enough, let’s improve the comfort for everyone (even if it means less cheap seats/fares.) But if we decide it’s good enough for a passenger it should be good enough for a pilot who doesn’t have to do anything on the flight.
Otherwise why wouldn’t it simply be a requirement that all pilots fly in F all the time?
I get $90 first class upgrade offers on American.
The airlines should require pilots to either live in base or fly to their base the day before a flight and get their rest in a hotel room that they should be responsible for paying. For those who decide to live out of base, deal with it. Don’t inconvenience paying passengers.
@Rob… You took the words right out of my mouth. These employees that live in different cities and then travel to their base has become ridiculous. Want the job? Then live in the base city. It’s no different for any other employee that works in a city and lives there full time.
When Southwest had their meltdown over Christmas a few years ago, this was the exact reason it happened. Employees were at home because they wanted to be there for the holidays and when it came time to get to work they were all stuck because of the weather which ended up inconveniencing teens of thousands paying passengers.
This article is about the people that want a free upgrade at the gate, those people didn’t pay for first class in the first place.
The pilot that is going to fly another plane has priority for the empty first class seat because he/she is going to work. That is something that has occurred for decades.
Pay for first class or get over it.
@40 year on airplanes – no, this hasn’t happened for decades, this was new at united during the pandemic and new at american in 2023.
Garbage airline racing to the bottom of the dumpster. News at 11.
Perfect article for why NOT to show loyalty to any airline. There is no point to the fancy credit cards with the ‘perk’ of possible upgrades when they never happen. No thanks, it’s wasting money on something that isn’t actually real.
You fools do realize that commuting pilots do not get First. The only time a commuter would get first is if all upgrades have cleared and there are still open seats. That is rare.
Some people expect free stuff. That’s not how the world works. For you work for free just so that your employer could lower the price of your product or service?
There is a simple and better solution. If you didn’t pay for F, you don’t get it. Now a plane shouldn’t leave with a pax not aboard with all Y filled an empty F seat, but otherwise NO upgrades. I paid for F, I’d rather have an empty seat than some “elite” sitting next to me because he pays Y fares but thinks he’s special.
The ignorance here is impressive.
Folks should know pilot contract language before spouting off about this.
Also, folks should understand the difference between commuting and deadheading. If you can’t easily recognize someone doing one or the other then you shouldn’t assume anything because you don’t know.
Finally, “FAA rest rules” as applied by airlines will work pilots to the point of absolute fatigue.
(Just because you can create schedules that near-violate FAA rules doesn’t mean you should – yet, they all do.)
It’s an employee benefit, lots of companies give their employees perks. If you work at a grocery store you get cheaper groceries than paying customers regardless of whether the customer has a loyalty card. This kind of example is everywhere. If you want first class pay for first class. I don’t see the problem.
Wow there is A LOT of dumb entitled Karen and Baron uneducated customers in this thread. You do realize that airline employee bases are based on seniority and needs of the company. You can get hired and be in base as you say and demand is required, then after you buy a house, your spouse and children settled, then get bumped out of base to another base with zero say or authority. Are these employees supposed to keep selling their homes, moving kids, ruining their spouses career every time a pilot HAS to change bases, not because they CHOOSE too. Please educate yourself before you comment on commuting employees before you open your mouth.
Add more F seats to the cabins.
The work them too much and need rest let them
I want my pilots well rested ..let it be.
Gary Left, stirring shit, as per usual, as he’s so good at it! Yet, he’s not even qualified enough to be a flight attendant—let alone fly a plane. Pretty soon he’ll be back to picking on SWA, one of his favorite pastimes…
I recently flew SAV/HKG and returned SIN/SAV on UA round trip and purchased Premium Economy. I was bumped on Ord/LAX and SFO//ORD and was told that I would automatically receive a refund for the difference in fares. Never received refund. On calling UA with boarding passes in hand, they couldn’t find me. I finally gave up and won’t book UA anymore. I don’t think they really care.
I fly first class on American and I pay up front for it. If a pilot needed an extra first class seat to go home or dead head give it to him. Otherwise buy your first class ticket ahead of time like most folks.
Waaaah! Get over yourselves!
@Carl- if you are talking about bumping paid first class passengers, I agree with you- paid first class should very, very rarely be downgraded to coach, because it’s not delivering the value proposition that the customer paid for up front. And as someone else commented in the thread, paid first class ain’t cheap!
If you are talking about an elite who bought a coach seat? Why in god’s name give any priority to that passenger? I flew SQ ~300 times over 10 years, top tier elite the whole time- never once got a free upgrade. Who’s going to buy a cow if you get the milk for free?
Feel like you are giving your loyalty to the wrong airlines? Then move! Whoops- good luck finding an airlines giving free upgrades to elites- maybe Cathay still? But you’ll have to route all your domestic flights via Hong Kong- that’s the long way round.
You want first class pay for it, or if such a good customer use your miles. Everyone feels entitled. I know it’s would want my pilot well rested.
@Pilot93434 — “something for nothing…” AND the chicks for free!
Basically airlines are admitting that their Coach seats are SO awful and uncomfortable they won’t let their employees sit there, and are happy to bump passengers who have paid a lot of extra $ to sit in first class down to coach.
When you work for a company and on business travel your company books BC seats for you, it’s part of your benefits, then same shit to the pilots ! They work for a company and upgrade to BC is part of their benefits I don’t see anything wrong with that and they dont get upgraded all the time it’s all depends on if there is open seats or not. Get over with this topic! Move on !
Honestly the only issue is these airlines continue to push the upgrade perk as a benefit to loyalty, without disclosing how increasingly unlikely you are to land one. I only scored a single upgrade at platinum pro, and since I hit executive platinum only a handful, lately I’ve just booked it in advance. Obviously route and timing matter enormously on this, but in general, especially for the lower tiers this is a phantom benefit but it is listed as a primary perk.
Recently retired airline pilot here. I’d say the two biggest variables– which I couldn’t control — affecting flight safety were weather and rest / fatigue level.
I’m an Alaska titanium; I get upgraded about 70% of the time. I have never once seen a pilot in business class with me, or seen a pilot sitting in business when I did not get upgraded. So, stick with Alaska – the best
I get a kick out of anyone who thinks AA is a transportation company and expects service from them. They are a sales and marketing company. If you happen to get somewhere you wanted within a day or so of your schedule that’s fine but irrelevant to their business model. Once you paid you are stuck. Do you think Isom knows when the flight to Paris is five hours late? Do you think he knows if the sales function of the website is down for five hours?