They furloughed. And unfurloughed because of the bailout. And the pilots got back pay.

Delta sent furlough letters and would’ve done the same thing if not for an 11th hour LOA and the government bailout.

The American furlough during COVID wasn’t actually a furlough. It was a threat of furlough that didn’t truly happen, despite a tiny gap between (repaid) unemployment and the bailout. If the bailout by chance happened to be slightly earlier, that gap wouldn’t exist at all and they’d be the same as Delta (not furloughing).


The fact that American’s furlough “failed” is actually what proves my entire point anyway.