I'm not a Delta employee, but I just flew on a Buddy Pass, courtesy of my friend the Delta employee. Buddy Passes are an employment benefit for company employees, and the number an employee receives annually is based on his/her seniority. You fly "space available," which as you know means sometimes you sit and wait. They aren't exactly free, but you pay only the taxes on the trip. The funny part is the rather lengthy list of regulations you are expected to abide by, the funniest (to me) of which is the NO DENIM rule. I don't usually dress up to fly, but I do when it's on a Buddy Pass. I'm sure DL employees have more info on it, but these are
some of the highlights.