Got it. Big thanks to you and DALMD88FO for the info!

 

Again with the hat?... its part of the uniform and came with the pay raise you got... put it on, your not that handsome and your lettuce is not all that tight that it can't be covered up.

Carry on.

 

Pay Raise? Did I miss something?

 

Zika is a concern for both males and females. It can be sexually transmitted, so if you plan on having kids it becomes an issue. Its been documented that it can stay in the male's system for months. They don't exactly know the maximum time it will remain.

Of course more people die from malaria, but the issue with Zika is not death, but rather microcephaly in newborns. Having a child with permanent brain defects because of unneeded travel is quite the risk. There is no cure, and it has lifelong consequences.

I personally bid around the trips to Central/South America and Caribbean. I don't bid FL trips mostly because I don't prefer them. I can see how people not planning on having kids may view the situation differently.

 

I know what the problems are with Zika. I live in Florida. We hear about it almost everyday here. That being said, do you think this is going to stop at the Florida border? It's here. Malaria will be in the not too distant future. Zika might be like the giant Ebola scare of 2015 and die out in a few months. It might not. My guess is that at some point you are going to have to fly into an area that found some mosquitos with Zika.

I guess if the company allows those trips to be dropped without pay it could gain traction, but it will open the Pandora's box of true MED destinations. I have no idea how they could allow people to drop MIA layovers where there have been a handful of Zika cases and force us to fly LOS where there is high malaria and terrorism.

 

We get it Tsquare. If it doesn't impact you personally or increase your hourly rate, you don't care.

 

-I never said it'd stop at the border
-I'm a person that will fly to MED destinations. (Hint - I can take Malarone and Malaria can be treated - Zika there is no known treatment)
-My child/future children being at risk for brain defects is not worth it to me.
-Delta has a security team. We have pulled out of unstable markets (IST, CAI, etc.)
-People have been able to refuse MED destinations.

That's fine that Zika doesn't bother you. It's fine that you don't plan on having kids. For people that are not in your situation, it is a big deal.

 

played..... out.....

 

Malarone is not 100%. You can still get it even taking all the precautiuons. Malaria can be treated, but it can still kill you, and if it doesn't it is with you for life and when it does flare up it is very unpleasant. And fyi, Malaria kills millions of children.

I get your concern. I just don't see how the company will be able to cater to every child bearing age employee. Especially since we are hiring in the numbers we are currently doing so. (Of course like all things in this business, if the pay is increased, somehow the danger level goes down ) It is not an easy issue.

Oh, and I was told when I was assigned LOS that the company would go out of business the next day so I had to go. (sarcasm) It sucked, but at least it was high time. I would love to know how to get out of that the next time I am assigned one.

 

Risk/reward, a PBS bid should keep you away from those destinations. If not, an AE bid will. I hear NYC M88A is available.