Dear Mark’s Buddy,

In a word NO! Wow is the body even cold yet? Here is a question for you, “Are you willing to pay my salary, health insurance, disability insurance, contribute to my retirement (that won’t cost you much), and somehow find flight benefits for me and my entire family? Because, that’s what I will need from you when I lose my job! You’re right, the answers no if you don’t ask and you may just find someone as crazy as you willing to do this but it isn’t going to be me! In fact I don’t even give out my buddy passes anymore, for one they are as expensive as a cheap fare, and I had an incident with a relative using one. My relative wasn’t dressed properly (there is a dress code for passes) and he, unbeknownst to me at the time, has an anger problem. Long story short, he told a gate agent to shove her flight where the sun don’t shine (and, he didn’t say it that nice)! I scrambled! I ended up telling my supervisor that my relative had Dementia, and we didn’t realize it had gotten that bad! I wrote letters of apology to everyone! I was lucky, I didn’t lose my job or my flight benefits…I haven’t given out a buddy pass since! So, would I give you, a complete stranger my flight benefits? NO!

I actually know a FA who doesn’t pay rent in exchange for her passes, so I’m not saying it’s impossible…just stupid on the part of the airline employee. As for you? You have nothing to lose, they’ll lose their job and before they unpack their suitcase you’ll be back on Face Book looking for your next airline employee!

If your company can’t afford the business trips, try Skype: )

*Did I mention, my husband wasn’t even added to my flight benefits until we were married? You don’t just give that out: ) “Marry me fly free!”

For more info on how our “passes” work check out this post by Heather Poole.