So I am trying to send someone on a buddy pass and a screen comes up that I don't understand when I select the flight.

It says: Please make sure that you have first class coupons purchased and available for travel. You will need to present your coupon to the gate agent.

There are no more seats available in coach but plenty in first class so that's my only option. Do you buy the coupons separately at the the ticket counter? Where do you find these things?

You buy them at any us airways customer service counter.

even though there are no first class seats available you should still book them in coach and have them buy the first class tickets as back ups. Chances of them getting on with coach already booked is slim though, so make sure they have a back up.

Thanks for the info. I think I'll just leave her booked in first unless its prohibitively expensive. Which leads me to my next question. Any idea how much it costs?

In my experience, the empty seats are almost always in coach. If there are open seats showing in first, chances are they will fill them up at the last minute with Chairman Preferred guys and their free upgrades.

Buddy pass riders in first isn't going to happen unless the plane is completely empty or its international. Everyone and their cousin can get a free or cheap upgrade now. Those empty first class seats will become empty coach seats by departure time.

Look at it as how many total empty seats there will be on the airplane, and that your buddy pass riders will get the worst ones. That empty first class seat is going to be an empty middle seat in the last row of coach next to a screaming baby by the time the gate agent gives you a boarding pass.

$100 international 35 domestic

Should I book in first class and coach with two totally separate listings? This seems way more complicated than it should be.

just book one. if they have a voucher for 1st they should tell the gate agent.

No. Book one or the other, not both.

If you leave the booking for first class:
-She will need to purchase an upgrade pass from the special services counter and have it with her IF she's going to occupy a first class seat.
-If first class ends up filling up and there are seats in coach, she will be given the coach seat and can get a refund for the first class pass she purchased.

If you book in coach:
-No need to purchase the first class pass, HOWEVER, IF the only seats available on the plane end up being first class, she will be left behind and the first class seats will go out empty if she does not have a first class pass already purchased with her.

What the guys have already said is mostly correct, I don't see many open first class seats these days.