Originally Posted by
Counselor
For these guys/gals who don't move on because flying is more of a hobby to complement the side gig, what kind of retirement flight benefits do they get when they retire from a regional? Mainline travel benefits?
Sort of. You typically get whatever your regional gets (subject to mainline rules), except that retirees are a lower priority than active regional employees (but higher than buddy pass). Usually get it after age 50-55 with ten years of employment. I have known people with other financial means who have stuck around just long enough to get that.
But what they don't tell you is that it's not guaranteed in any way. The rules can change, and it's all subject to mainline's policy. In most (or all?) cases if your regional subsequently ends their relationship with a particular major you would lose all nonrev benies on that major. You might or might not gain them if a new partnership is added. At DAL for example regional retirees only get DAL benies if they worked the last consecutive TEN years IMMEDIATELY prior to retirement on a DAL dedicated fleet.
Bunch of older folks at my last regional got HOSED when we got 175s... the CRJ was dedicated to all fleets, so it counted for DAL. But folks age 55 and over who bid onto the 175 lost their eligibility for DAL retiree nonrev benies, and it was irrevocable since they couldn't go back and have time to do ANOTHER ten years on DCI. Course nobody told any of us that until it was too late for many. I saved a friend, I had heard about this and mentioned it to him on a trip... his eyes got big, he had a class date for I think the AS 175 program. He was retired mil, career RJ FO who was just sticking around for the travel benies. He spent the rest of the trip on the phone, scheming to get out of his class date, which he ultimately did. Others weren't so lucky. He would have traded DAL international nonrev for AS domestic nonrev (if he even got that).
Bottom line... probably not safe to make career decisions based on regional nonrev access.