Stating facts is drama. Got it. The original comment was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek.

I don’t believe it’s “a software glitch”. I think it’s a function of the output of the payroll department doesn’t meet the requirements of the banking system.

I got a call from accounting literally the day before thanksgiving, asking to verify the account info I submitted a week earlier. They made a big deal about submitting it by the 16th to be eligible for “pre-employment,” so I was surprised it took them so long to get to the verification step. My regional wasted no time paying my last check and all my PTO.

Isn’t the bonus payable on day 1?

No idea. When I called the day they emailed us, they didn’t know anything any kept saying it was rushed (for us in the 11/28 class) so that it “could be paid as a pre-employment bonus”.

The pre-employment ship has sailed.

I remember the literature saying somewhere “prior to your first day” or something along the lines of prior to employment.

So at this point, for the sake of philosophical debate, could one turn down the bonus now? Or leave prior to the 3 year mark and argue it wasn’t paid out in the pre employment time frame? I’m sure the latter is moot, good lawyers will have written that out of a contract.

Getting the payout AFTER you start has very little effect on you. You will likely still be held accountable if you leave. The problem would be that they would then be paying “employed” first year pilots outside of the CBA. The “pre-employment bonus” has everything to do with circumventing the CBA and current seniority list pilots, not whether or not they could hold you to the contract. Failing to meet the pre-employment timeframe will only have blowback on the company. Not you.

I’m not planning on leaving, also not touching it for at least 3 years just to be safe.

That’s a smart choice. You never know what opportunities your future may hold.

Just to be clear, my post wasn’t meant in any way to be negative towards you. I was just explaining why the company would be in such a hurry to get the bonus done pre-employment.

Welcome to Frontier, and I hope it will be everything that you hope it will be. This place isn’t without its warts and scars, but it’s nowhere near as bad as some on here make it out to be. Come develop your own opinion. Don’t let your attitude be influenced by what others say.