Originally Posted by
sailingfun
There was zero wrong with that. You always have the option to buy a regular ticket if unable to non rev. You just can't do it in advance as a placeholder you only intend to use as a backup. I bought more than a few tickets commuting to work. On one occasion I had a flight attendant go crazy on me when I placed my crew bag in the overhead bin yelling something about not for jumpseaters check your bag. It was on American not my airline. I put the bag there anyway and walked straight to the cockpit and explained to the CA I was a revenue passenger and a platinum on American. I said the flight attendant yelling was unacceptable even if I had been jumpseating and if she wanted to apologize after the flight I would consider not writing up the experience to AA. She apologized but her heart was not in it. What made it better was they had a last minute no show and I got upgraded to first after her tirade!
I have had plenty of paid deadheads and commutes, often in uniform, and have had a few flight attendants along the way and the occasional captain object, either to seating location, or for not checking in at the cockpit, etc. This, as a paid passenger (with status). Notably, on SWA, with a business-select accomodation, which on SWA is of course the same seat anywhere on board, but boarding position A1 (first on board after the 1,500 pre-boarders): I grabbed an exit row seat and was promptly told I couldn't sit there as a "pre-boarder." I politely explained that I was a paying passenger and "business select," and was informed quite loudly, and unkindly, that I was a pre-boarder and had best get out of that seat. The flight attendant was not about to let slide one jot or tittle of her cabin kingdom.
I suppose I could have pushed back, or bothered the flight crew when they had better things to do, or made a scene, or threatened to write a letter, but that would have been more of a dick move, wouldn't it?
It was a bit easier just to move.
Life goes on.