Quite astonished at reading this. From someone who is no way connected with CX, surely a passenger airline is in business to fly as many PAX (sorry "scum down the back") as they can from A to B and yield as much from them as possible to be profitable. If people can pay to upgrade, either a set fee or however else so be it. The seats are there for the business to be profitable not to allow pilots to commute to the far corners or go on holiday for free. If the seats are available then take them, if the 'scum' are in them paying your wages then take what is available down the back. Surely it is a perk not a god given right...