Originally Posted by e6bpilot

I will second this and I strongly feel that it needs to be a topic we negotiate along with LTD and insurance benefits. Pilots are different when it comes to sick calls. Period. We can't fly sick at all. I get allergies and have had to call out sick because I either take my meds that aren't allowed or am too stuffy to fly. This isn't the case with the desk jockeys at the GO. So why are we on the same plan for buddy passes as them where we lose a month of "swag points" for calling in sick? It isn't right.
Pilot pass benefits need to be separated from the rest of the company. We just need to earn one per month or whatever and not be hampered by this stupid program where we pay taxes on these fake points. It would be worth paying a small "administration fee" or whatever to avoid the imputed income trap. Then let pilots decide if they still want to be in the swag program so that they can buy stupid stuff with their points and pay the taxes on them. I have started turning the points into Rapid Rewards points because at least I can book actual revenue travel with them.