Hey Aussie,
When I worked at American Airlines, pre-9/11, things were pretty flexible. What it sounds like you're looking for is a description of how non-revenue standby travel works as it applies to pilots. Heres a brief description of how it worked.
--First off, if a pilot/crew was trying to catch up to a designated flight segment for work purposes, they would generally be allotted confirmed seats on the aircraft.
--Secondly, all AA/AE pilots could fly in any of the company's jumpseats for free if they so chose. This included whether the pilot was trying to fly for personal travel, or commuting between cities. Stipulations to this rule existed when the aircraft were either full or empty. When an aircraft was full, and there were multiple pilots trying to get on that aircraft, they would go by company seniority for that seat. This was kinda rough for the probationary pilots as they could ONLY fly in the jumpseat. If an aircraft was empty, and a pilot was off of probation it worked a little differently. Generally, the boarding agent would designate the pilot with a "jumpseat" boarding pass to board the aircraft. After the pilot boarded the aircraft, he would introduce himself to the flight and cabin crew. Now if the captain was aware that there were seats available in back, he would usually just tell the pilot to "grab a seat." Depending on the aircraft configuration, this could be any seat including those in First, and Business Class. Remember, that the pilot still has a "jumpseat" boarding pass, so this is a pretty nice free ride.
--Last but surely not least, is the wonderful thing known as OA jumpseating. Quite a few airlines, domestic and international, have exchangeable jumpseat priveledges. This allows the participating carrier's pilots to occupy the jumpseat in any given aircraft, space permitting. This is especially useful if a pilot is commuting between their home city and domicile on busy routes.
Hope this has been a help!
Steve
