The best staff travel I ever saw (and I've been around) was Eastern Airlines in the USA.
First of all it was free in Y class, what a concept and a $10 in First. And there are still people at Emirates who think EK has a great Staff Travel Program.
The airline broke the classification into 5 classes;
1. Employee
2. Spouse
3. Child
4. Retiree
5. Parents
If you were a child and traveling w your mom who,was not the employee than you could not bump an active employee trying to get to work or going somewhere on his limited days off.
If you were a student and going to FLA for Spring Break you were not going to bump a couple trying to get away for the weekend.
In each classification it was based on seniority. Everyone liked it and t worked well.
I know I would be pissed off if I couldn't get First class seat because some Kid in college whose father was seņor to me received the last first class seat. That kid has done nothing for the airline. I read and heard the arguments that is what seniority is all about. Sure but not in this case. That Capts child doesn't have any seniority or even know what seniority is all about.
And when did anyone at Emirates start practicing the concept of seniority? Almost nothing at this airline is seniority based, at least the important items.