Kenya Airways (KQ) has reinstated a complimentary scheme that allows its employees to travel around the world, which was suspended in May 2024 after completing a probe on misuse of the service by its staffers.
The scheme called buddy pass entitles the airline's staff to two free flights a year, each accompanied by up to four other passengers. The scheme allows staff to nominate family and friends within specified limits and clear accompanying rules.
The arrangement was, however, abused by some KQ staff prompting its suspension it pending investigations.
KQ’s chief people officer Tom Shivo said the scheme has been reinstated after management completed a probe on the 75 staff members who violated the rules that guide the use of the pass.
“Management investigated buddy pass rules violations involving seventy -five staff members. The disciplinary process for fifty-five staff is complete, and action for the remaining twenty-five will be communicated soon,” said Mr Shivo in the latest memo to the airline’s staff dated July 9, 2024.
“This is to advise staff that further investigations have ceased unless new compelling evidence arises. All staff are reminded to follow human resource policies and maintain ethical standards,” he said. The scheme targets the airline’s over 4,000 staff allowing each two free flights in a year.
However employees have been exploiting weaknesses in vetting beneficiaries to sell the buddy passes at cheap prices to friends as well as traders, who end up enjoying more cargo space because staff enjoys higher baggage allowance.
Several KQ staffers found culpable were pushed out of the company following investigations.
Although buddy passes are normal in the airline industry, the best practice requires that employees do not benefit commercially from the scheme, the same way work-related benefits should not be passed on to third parties.
Other airlines offer an employee one free ticket in a year and unlimited tickets for family members and friends at a set percentage of the full fare with close monitoring to discourage commercialisation.
Some global airlines require staff to submit a list of immediate family members and dependents at the beginning of the year, subject to a review after six months, and with no option of selling to third parties.
Under Resolution 788 of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which provides for free or reduced fare transportation to an employee for an air carrier, the immediate family — spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and dependents — are listed as the beneficiaries of a buddy scheme.
