Business vs First Class using bank?
 

I just had a buddy tell me that he's flying business to DBX, but has some leftover bank to use that would pay for 1st Class. The Global Travel guy told him he'd have to eat the extra $$ if he had them get him a first class seat instead. WTH, this doesn't sound right to me... The flight's about 7 hours long. God we messed this contract up, honestly this POS is worse than what we had before except pay rates (which we'd have gotten anyway). Every little good deal is flipping gone! WTF ALPA!

Anyone have insight?

F50

Here is the applicable language from CBA 2015 and BTW 2011 and BTW 2006:

If a higher class of service is authorized on a deadhead with
less than 10 scheduled block hours, such service shall be
booked in Business or First Class at the Company’s option,
subject to availability on the scheduled flight. If a seat with
the required class of service is not available when the Com-
pany books a seat for the pilot, the Company shall book a
seat in the next highest class of service available, provided it
places a request to upgrade to the required higher class(es)
of service.

The language hasn’t changed. The company has chosen to enforce it through GT. Have your buddy try to book it through the web site not talking to GT.

If the fare does not show up on Global Travel just check the Emirates website and book there. We don’t get a discount so the prices should be the same. If you meet the rules for first class use the company credit card and book it. Global Travel never likes to book first class on Emirates for some reason.

Tell him to book it online or call GT back in 5 minutes and get another agent. Some GT agents are misinformed. For the purposes of booking a deviation ticket “a higher class of service” is whatever the pilot booking the ticket wants it to be.