I have found EK staff travel to be quite variable wrt to accomodating me on flights. Sometimes they are great, sometimes they are a nightmare but quite frankly I'm accustomed to the nightmare scenario from previous jobs, so it comes as no shock to me.
I had a funny incident at EK....... a bit off topic sorry....... where a wife of a Captain was causing quite a scene because she had been bumped from First Class. I don't remember all the details but suffice to say, it all became an issue prior to departure and the ground staff and crew were doing their best to accomodate her, yet she continued to cause problems to the point that we took a short delay.
Later in the flight the Purser advised us that she was Staff Travel, much to our amazement and quite frankly, disgust. I don't know how this fact had alluded everyone until later in the flight. We then made it a point to have the Purser have a frank discussion with her and make certain things very clear to her. Apparently this worked as she became very apologetic and obviously further action was not required.
Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.
I must say though, that some airlines such as Lufthansa, the old KLM and a couple of others have been exceptionally good to me when travelling on ZED's. I wish EK, my own airline, would be so accomodating but I suspect that will never happen.