Summary
- American Airlines prioritizes deadheading pilots over revenue passengers for upgradable seats, a policy that went into place in August 2023.
- An American Airlines passenger claims their travel companion was moved from first class to accommodate a deadheading crew member.
- American Airlines, like other airlines, has faced disputes and lawsuits from customers in the past, with recent examples including a lawsuit over treatment of unaccompanied minors and a lawsuit related to an off-duty pilot’s actions during a flight.
An American Airlines passenger claims their travel companion was removed from first class to make space for an airline crewmember. A video posted to X by Jake Williams (@jwilliams0787) shows passengers disembarking a regional jet, with the camera panning to a uniformed member of the flight crew sitting in a first class seat.
The post alleges that an American Airlines gate agent upgraded Williams and his girlfriend to first class, but then moved the girlfriend back into the main cabin, claiming that Williams’ girlfriend’s seat was broken. However, moments later, the passenger claims the deadheading crew member was happily sitting in the same seat. Originally uploaded on Tuesday night, the post had been seen by nearly 12,000 people by Sunday morning.
Pilots prioritized
American Airlines’ policy gives deadheading pilots priority over revenue passengers when it comes to upgradable seats. The new policy prioritizing deadheading pilots went into place last August as a part of the most recent deal between the airline and the pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association. Fellow US ‘big three’ member United has also been prioritizing deadheading pilots over first class passengers since 2020.
The allegedly broken American Airlines Embraer E170/175 seat was the first row on the port side of the Brazilian-manufactured regional jet. Although the post on X was directed at American Airlines, it is unknown which of American Airlines’ regional partners operated the aircraft involved in the dispute—American Airlines partners with both Envoy Air and Republic Airways to operate its American Eagle regional service.
Photo: LJ Jones | Shutterstock
It is also unclear if the uniformed member of the flight crew was a pilot for American Airlines, Envoy Air, or Republic or how that would affect policy for seating deadheading crew members. American Airlines was not able to respond to an inquiry by Simple Flying before press time.
For its part, American Airlines, like many other airlines, is ramping up operations in preparation for a surge in passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. American Airlines is expected to fly nearly eight million passengers, operating 285 domestic widebody flights this Thanksgiving travel season.
Complaints and lawsuits
Like any other airline, American Airlines has seen its fair share of disputes with customers over the years. American Airlines itself was recently sued by a Florida mother after she alleged the airline put her two unaccompanied sons in a “cold room akin to a jail cell” for the night during a flight in July 2022.
Related to deadheading crew members, passengers of Alaska Airlines regional affiliate Horizon Air are suing the airline after an off-duty pilot pulled the fire handles, endangering the flight during an apparent mental health crisis on Alaska Airlines flight AS2059, causing the flight to divert.
X, previously known as Twitter, has long been utilized by airlines and passengers to voice grievances with each other. The social media platform has been home to numerous viral interactions this past year.
Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is known on X for its humorous and, at times, cheeky replies to customers criticizing the airline on social media. The airline has been involved in numerous back-and-forth dialog with users of X about the famed windowless seat, 11A.
Last May, Air France elected to suspend the customer service function of its Twitter account after new social media company policies made direct messaging no longer feasible for the French flag carrier.