Deadhead seating for United pilots
Short answer
Domestic: First Class if available, else Business on three-class aircraft, else Economy Plus. Global: Business or First, overbooked if needed, never Economy.
What the contract says
“When On-Line deadheading on a Basic Flight, a Pilot shall be booked positive space in First Class, if available at time of booking.”
“In no case shall a Pilot whose deadheading is booked under this Section 5-C-2 be required to deadhead in Economy Class (including Economy Plus).”
Do I get upgraded if First opens up?
On a Basic (domestic) flight, yes: automatically, in seniority order and ahead of all upgrading passengers, unless the deadhead was booked within three hours of departure; then company business travel policy applies. § 5-C-1 § 5-C-1-d On a Global flight, an upgrade from Business to First follows company business travel policy. § 5-C-2
What counts as a long deadhead?
A single leg over eight hours, or more than eight hours of consecutive deadheading in a duty period. Those are booked under the Global rules even on a domestic flight. § 5-C-1-b
Can I board early in uniform?
Yes, unless government regulations prohibit it. In uniform you can board like a working crewmember once the minimum flight attendants are on board; out of uniform you can board any time during passenger boarding. Either way, check in and scan your boarding pass first. § 5-C-1-f
This page explains contract language; it is not legal advice. If your situation is not covered, ask your union representative.