Originally Posted by
clambakejoe
I'm sorry, but if you are 80 years old , with arthritis, trying to go to the Mayo clinic, do you really want to non-rev? Do you want to get stuck somewhere because you couldn't get on a flight. What about the active employee is trying to visit a seriously ill family member, or trying to commute to work. I respect the retired employees, for I will be one in 9 years. As a retiree, I would not expect nor want to displace a working employee if I opt to non-rev at all.
Just my two cents.
My example was allegorical, a retiree certainly can't afford a health plan for the Mayo clinic.
I would be careful with the argument that the passes are used for commuting. For one, the other employee groups truly resent the pilots ability to commute, from time to time they make a stink that this is pass abuse, (no business use of passes). That and with the attention commuting has gotten since Colgan, it isn't a good point to argue. The Achilles heel of pass policy is that the IRS wants to tax it if it is negotiated in the contract, there-go the managements view that you should be happy with whatever they give you.
If you are CAL you never had the higher priority for 25+ year retired employees, so if it is changed you lose nothing. However, the UAL guys have had this since day one, it is a concession for them. The 25+ working vs retired should be changed, unfortunately the UAL employee groups could not agree amongst themselves.
As you said, I expect that you will not use passes when you retire, as is the case with most of us. Capital One mileage is the way to go, you get positive space, any airline, any class and the agents are not snotty toward you.