@maka - Weren't buddy passes being given/sold to "buddies" so it wasn't just the employee BUT potential paying pax?
How much did a buddy pass pax pay?
If a buddy pax is only paying for taxes [which are given to GoK or other jurisdictions] then KQ has no advantage.
Were buddy passes being misused?
Greedy when others are fearful. Very fearful when others are greedy - to paraphrase Warren Buffett