Crew Upgrades Over Customers?

Does anyone have any idea what the AA policy is on crew in transit receiving upgrades. I recently had a long flight and was high on the upgrade list. Right before boarding I was bumped down the list. For whatever reason I happened to notice the seat assignments of the two people upgraded. When we boarded I realized that both were AA employees in uniform.

I never used to see this and now I feel like it’s increasingly common. Good for them, but upgrades are a significant reason I stick to one airline. Seems like they should be reserved for paying customers.