Originally Posted by
30west
I often hear about the 1400 furloughs at UAL. Just so everyone knows there is a difference between voluntary and involuntary. Many pilots took the involuntary furloughs to get the furlough pay and benefits and retire, go fly overseas for the twilight of their late 50s, or go start another career. They have no intention of returning, my guess is around half. Some age 60+ copilots were tired of being told they cant be the flying guy since capt was 60+, so they need to be the bunkie today, many of those guys said Ill take the furlough pay instead. For every guy that did these things he saved a guy at the bottom.
Just my two cents on UA furloughs
30W.....
All good points/insight.
I hear what your saying about many not having ANY intention of returning. All you have to do is look over at AA who has
several more 100 pilots on the street than UAL has. I have flown with 4-5 'furloughed' AA guys who have no intention of going back.....let alone a few others who completely got out of the industry never to look back. As you pointed out, I'm sure that there are UAL furloughees who have that story as well.....shoot, I know of 2 CAL guys of the 147 who have rided themselves of this industry as well.
No matter how you put it (direct affect/or indirect affect), it's just SAD that an example of SCOPE (or lack there of) caused
many of the furloughs to take place . Some have professed that the B737 'retirement' was a planned thing all along. If it was planned or not, I'm sure the 70+ seat RJ outsourcing lived to their name and facilitated the parking of those planes sooner rather than later.....thus, 'Guppy Killer'/mainline pilot positions.
Again,
SAD......no matter if your outsider looking in, or an insider looking out.