Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
The funny thing about the bonuses that I remember is that not a single pilot who was planning on getting out for the airlines at the same time (and I'm talking the '96-2000' timeframe here when I first got the bonus) took the carrot ... USMCFLYR
In my experience around the same time frame, there were some guys sitting on the fence who decided to stay in part because of the bonus.
I think there may be more of those now because of a shift in perception regarding an airline career. There is no longer even an illusion of a good defined benefit retirement plan with most airlines. And, folks have seen that if the economy hiccups even a slight bit, many airlines begin furloughing almost immediately.
No bonus will keep every pilot in the AF, but a bonus will keep enough in to make it a wise thing to do. The AF simply cannot afford to hemorrhage all the 9-12 year guys. IMO.