Originally Posted by
MasterOfPuppets
it’s 4000 pilots to hit pre merger pilots. Add in 500 for early retirement plus another 500 for LOA...... (I think those are extremely conservative).... Thats 5000 pilots out the door before a pre merger pilot is even touched. Do you think this airline can survive with a schedule that low? Because I don’t if we send 5000+ pilots to the street we are done as a company.
Not a cheery subject, but I don't know on that one...my Dad was an old TWA guy and he watched TWA shrink by more than half while remaining TWA. He ended up retiring as AA bought them up but I remember him talking about TWA going from 4000 pilots or so to 2000 pilots when AA came along. My uncles were both PSA pilots and they watched their company shrink by 40% until US Air took them over late 80s, early 90s. It may be a long process but there is historic precedent for a gradual and slow decline. Even the old stand alone UAL shrank around 35-40% from the 12,000 pilot (give or take 9/11 workforce) to the 8000 or so that ended up in the merger. My numbers may be off given memory. Not saying there will always be a UAL but it may take a while.
Other than healthcare, is there a good reason to go with the Plus version of the Voluntary Furlough? I asked on the other board and it was clear that there aren't many positives to the Plus from those folks.