United Airlines fired 35 employees who sold employee travel passes for profit. Perks, like travel passes, are intended for employees and friends or family members. The airline, after an investigation, “uncovered a brokering scheme where employees were soliciting pass travel privileges from their colleagues to put up for sale.”

“United employees at the gate noticed something fishy about a particular group of nine non-revenue pass riders,” the company said.

“The three families, who were traveling internationally, stated that they had ‘paid for’ first-class tickets – but they were on non-revenue reservations and were unable to provide the names of the employees who had provided the tickets.”

According to the company, “Some of the employees who gave up their passes received payment, while others were deceived into giving away their pass travel privileges based on the pretext that the passes were for a good friend or a relative (although even that would be against the rules).”

United spokesperson Frank Benenati told USA TODAY, “Enjoying flying privileges is a unique and special advantage of working at an airline, and it is intended only for our employees and their friends and family. We have clear rules on flying privileges so we can all fairly enjoy this benefit.”

The employees were fired, but United said “some claimed that they believed that what they were doing was OK, since they had pass travel privileges that weren’t being used.”