All kidding aside I found buddy pass worked well and all of them were on short notice, short range (as in we're the only ones who serve that route and prices are high) and the passengers were flexible.

The best I ever had was a friend who needed to pick up a truck in SDF and drive back. The one way ticket may at that time been around $600 or so. $49 for the buddy pass. Everything else has been miserable for me and I think I talk people out of using buddy passes.