If this is true, why doesn't the union just come out and tell us? It's scary for sure - furloughing to Dec 13 would be what, 4500 pilots? But we're all adults here, and the lack of transparency about how the LOA was not only approved, but unanimously so, does more harm than good, IMO.

 

Reading the Q&A if someone is awarded the ZHL they can request to be furloughed after or anytime until May. Seems like as good of backup plan as any. Bid conditionally and not roll the dice in the bubble to maybe furloughed or not. Try picking up open for a month or 2 then just take furlough and head to unemployment line.

 

The only question with that is if I take a voluntary furlough off a ZHL did I just screw myself out of unemployment.

 

with TTS 2.0, will we still be able to instantly pick up trips via DECS on a first come first served basis?

 

No. You can collect unemployment on a ZTL And 1 on 1 off as long as you don’t make x amount of money (depends on state you work in). You didn’t ask to get paid nothing/half your salary, you were forced into it.

 

I think we can all agree the Alternating Month is the “best option”. It makes it impossible to pick up another job to supplement income and I guarantee APA didn’t think of that. It was probably based around making it easier to create schedules. As far as the ZTL, I’m in a VSTLOA until DEC 1. So that would net me an extra 110 hours, however, that’s almost exactly what furlough pay would be for me (1.5 months). I’m trying to decide if it’s better to be on a ZTL and just add 5 hours of vacation every month (if it’s even allowed, I emailed APA, so who knows if I will even get a response), or be furloughed, get paid out for the vacation time, collect unemployment, and use the APA SMP. Obviously the FTO option isn’t even a consideration. Why would I stay current for basically free and how do they think a R9 would go after not flying for a full year?

 

No and yes. my understanding is of a trip opens you have 24 hours to bid for it in TTS and is seniority based. If no one picks it up I think he first 24 hours then anyone can snag it.

 

Wow, this is an atrocious change. I am not angry about the LOAs, but this is like getting spit on when combined with ZTLs being the only viable option for those of us on the bottom.

 

So TTOT is gonna disappear? Ugh...

 

We need answers on this. TTOT is the single best tool for schedule flexibility in my opinion.

Throw in a forced ZTL, and the gainfully employed FOs get first stab at open trips??? Seriously??