Originally Posted by
NeverFlexTO
A few questions to those who were furloughed in the past (I realize the environment has changed but curious what the mindset and thinking should be). Seeing how everyone in the industry is feeling the same pain, just planning for Plan B and Plan C.
1. Was finding another flying job a challenge? Did anyone consider going back to flying RJs or freight?
2. Is it more beneficial to look at jobs, apply before furlough, and potentially take a voluntary to be on the front side of the wave to get another flying job?
3. Theoretical Question...Does or will ALPA work on agreements with our RJ partners to hire pilots from DL?
4. if you didn’t go back to a flying job during furlough, what did you do?
5. If you take a voluntary furlough, can you comeback when your seniority # is called or do you wait until all the involuntary furloughs are back?
TIA
1. Pilots did both, RJ's and freight but it was a different market. Back then we had a higher % of new hires from the military + a war going on, so many went back to their previous military affiliations. A few did go to Delta's RJ operators who were hiring so fast that some had Captains off the street.
2. Really hard call to make. We don't yet know what Delta's plans are. Delta's FO rates are higher than Captain rates at the cargo carriers that are hiring off the street at the moment. The regional carriers are in the same boat with us and shedding pilots. It is hard to see a scenario where the best call isn't to stay with Delta as long as possible.
3. Not really. Northwest had a sort of bilateral flow negotiated as the E175's at NEWCO/Compass replaced their DC9's. ASA threw out the red carpet just to differentiate ourselves from Comair and because we were mostly Delta wanna be's anyway. ALPA (the Delta MEC to be specific) has always perceived the RJ jobs as worthless as best and a hostile threat at worse. You are correct that the Delta MEC could bargain to place it's members at Delta's wholly-owned subsidiaries. When wisened hands tell you this is impossible, send them to the Endeavor SSP/Bridge Agreement where Endeavor's MEC negotiated Delta jobs with Delta management and cut us completely out of the loop, violated our PWA Section 1D.10. and 1 D.11. At that point they will either ask you to be Scope Chairman or tell you to go talk to their attorney, depending on how they like the cut of your jib at that particular moment. If the Scope Chairman just quit (they quit on a regular basis because math) congratulations, Chairman!
4. House flipping, aviation claims management and air safety investigations, a few aircraft appraisals for banks
5. You can accept recall when your seniority will hold recall and the company has openings (don't think you could displace someone, but could be mistaken)