Under certain circumstances, you're right. That is a good plan. IF you are furloughed within a few years of graduating college, and the furlough was isolated to your company.

However, being furloughed during an economic downturn when employers in every industry are laying off and the unemployment rate is relatively high - it won't matter much what your degree is in. As many of my fellow furloughees can attest to, you still may not be able to find a job immediately.

Furthermore, unless you are keeping up your knowledge and skills in that field - the farther out you are from graduating college, the less relevant that degree becomes to someone who might hire you for a position in that industry.


My advice for anyone who is contemplating the "What if?" question:

1. I agree with the previous poster who said to look at it as an opportunity to fulfill an aspect of your life that you may not have been able to do otherwise. With some planning and a positive outlook - it truly could become an adventure!

2. Seriously assess your finances. Try to eliminate debt now and start saving. Any little bit will help later on. I know a lot of guys who sleep much better at night, now that they have a 3-6 month financial cushion stored away.

3. Ask yourself how much money you need to survive on each month/year. Add a bit for unplanned expenditures, and that will tell you what kind of job you need to be targeting if you get furloughed.

4. Make sure you have the phone numbers for your union reps, company benefits department, supervisors, and company & union Code-A-Phones (if you have them). You will quickly lose access to your company websites, and may find yourself in a position of not knowing who to call for information later on. Also know how to get Employment Verification Information for future employers.

5. Make sure that your contact information is up-to-date with the company and the union. Also find out who to send contact info changes to in the event you move after a furlough. Your last address and phone number is the only way the company will be able to contact you in the event of a recall. Consider using your parents' address if they are less likely to move.

6. Become familiar with the "Furlough and Recall" section of your contract. Find out what pay, medical and pass travel benefits you would be entitled to. (Make sure you COBRA within 63 days of your furlough, and also plan for that added expense. It can be upwards of a few hundred $.) Also, be aware of how many years of "Recall Rights" you have. And if you're still on Probation, find out when your company considers you having Recall Rights. Some companies say "Day 1 of Indoc," other say "after completion of IOE," others say "after 1 year of service." This is important information.

7. Within a month of being furloughed, if you have not heard anything from your Union, contact them and ask for the "Furlough Coordinator's" contact information. Typically, he will be your sole source of information, and the liaison between yourself, the union and the company.

8. Be aware that when you return, you will have to complete a FULL new-hire training course again - and this time, after possibly not having flown in a few years. Most companies are sympathetic to this, but they will NOT "train to proficiency." Many of our furloughees had the attitude of "They furloughed me, so they can retrain me." They had quite a surprise when they came back on property and were expected to get through Initial Training without additional training. So consider options to stay instrument current if you don't get a flying job.

9. In the event you do get furloughed, try not to hang on every rumor you hear. This will probably be THE hardest part of being furloughed. Know that NO ONE - including the company - truly has any answers for you, and they won't for quite awhile. Anyone who tells you they know how long it will take before you return is either lying to you or giving you an uninformed guess, just to make you feel better. Plan for the worst, hope for the best, and try to concentrate on what's immediately in front of you.


On a personal note, the ONE thing I wished I had done when I got furloughed was backpacked Europe or Australia for a month. Had I had a plan in place, I probably could have pulled it off. I promised myself if it happened again, I'd do it.

Hopefully, no one reading this will ever need this information.