I understand what you are saying but in today's market why would you give up your job up after at least 5 years without a guaranteed recall date?
Because that would be a safer bet than spending another 6 years as a Comair FO, just for that elusive 1000TPIC. Many Comair pilots have skills outside of aviation that pay much better, even in this economy. I don't need a recall date, I'd be content to sit on the sidelines and watch IF Delta shrinks Comair. If Delta rewards Comair, I'll consider taking a recall at that time.
From what has been said by the company, if you are furloughed you can basically not even consider a recall for the time being.
That works for me. I don't want to get a real job, start repairing my 401k, and then have Comair call back in a month.
Not to mention the fact that I have directly heard from JB himself that they are not going to transfer all that have been displaced to JFK. Let's just say on the off-chance there is actually a merger between us and Mesaba. If you take the furlough you will be stapled below others that are active in your own seniority list even though they are junior to you!!! (Considering there has never been an ALPA merger were the furloughed pilots didn't get stapled!!!)
That is certainly a question I will ask my reps. By taking a voluntary furlough are we surrendering our seniority number? It's one thing to go to the bottom of the list behind another group's pilots, but can we really be slid down our own seniority list? I'll admit I don't have the answer to that one.
Plus, are you for real that after 6 to 7 years you would be on reserve in JFK?
After years of Comair shennanigans, I am very real about that. Maybe not this fall, but the trend for next year is not "favorable".
I think you would still be a lineholder (especially considering what I have heard about the displacements to JFK not happening.) Take it for what its worth, but after 5-7 years at Comair in the current state of things I would never consider putting myself in that jeopardy.
We all have different trigger points based on our finances, family status, years to retirement, "Faith" that Comair/Delta is looking out for you, etc. Right now I think being displaced to JFnK for 35,000/year would probably bump me over my trigger point.
P.S. Is this also assuming you are allowed to draw unemployment if you take the voluntary furlough?
I'd take a voluntary to make boatloads of money in a different profession, not to have some time off.
I have had a few too many...
The problem may be I haven't had enough.
