afxarmed

Hey guys with the way this garbage industry is going and companies are offering COLA's left and right(THOSE BASTARDS....now they offer it when we need the job the most) and furloughs looming around everywhere......im just curious do we keep our bennies taking the COLA or getting furloughed.....I mean it would be sweet to take a COLA and travel but if they take the ID.....The same with being furloughed.....anyone know a good answer?

Cheers

Airsupport

i don't think you get to keep anything when you get furloughed. a buddy of mine was furloughed and he said he had to meet in the chief pilots office. turn in all of his stuff, including his manuals and badges, then they had to have someone escort him out of the secure area.. the only thing he was missing was his cardboard box with all his personal effects.

Short Bus Drive

It depends on the airline. You MIGHT be able to keep the "non-rev" bennies JUST FOR YOU, you may not. Some pay for the medical for a little longer. All depends on you CBA. LOOK AT THAT!
Also, when you say COLA, I assume you are talking about Company Leaves of Absence?
C.O.L.A. in my book is Cost of Living Adjustment.

higney85

I MAY BE WRONG!

I believe in a COLA (company leave) you typically keep bennies (travel and medical), you just don't work or get PAID. These are typically bid month-month or for a block of months (a known time).

Furlough is basically being sent home and "unemployed" but not fired. No bennies of any kind, no pay, indefinate amount of time out of work.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Blueskies21

I'm on furlough, we had to turn in our badges. We have non-rev travel same as before (with a lower priority) for 90 days for us and our immediate family, no buddy passes. Lost the jumpseat immediately. When our company offered COLA's it was without travel benefits or medical... big shocker nobody took it. A buddy of mine is on furlough at another airline and has non rev on his regional only for 60 days, so it varies.

rickair7777

Depends on the company. If they are smart they will offer travel bennies and self-paid insurance for COLAs. That encourges senior, more expensive pilots to take the LOA and avoids furloughing junior people.

ksatflyer

Best place to look would be your contract. At PSA the first month they offered COLA it wasnt bad. Kept everything so I took it so I could grow some hair back from commuting to reserve then after that month they said You lose everything if you take leave for more than 6 days in a row so I took the first 6 days of July off and will be returning next week. Today, I got an email says theyre offering "enhanced cola" haha for the month of august meaning you keep everything again. haha maybe soon they will make up their minds.

Aviatormar

I have a question, if you are furloughed are you able to keep your seniority number at your current airline. How common is it for this to happen? If an out of work pilot is furloughed, does that mean you cannot go work for someone else?

dojetdriver

Depends on the company you are seeking employment at. Some airlines want a letter from an HR representative from your former employer that you no longer work there.

There are ways around it, just depends on the how the company furloughing you chooses to deal with it.

Other companies could care less if you are on furlough or no longer on the seniority list. It has been known to bite some companies in the behind. FedEx has this issue a while ago. Although I seriously doubt they would ever again, even if they didn't make guys give up their number.

rickair7777

Furlough by definition means you keep your number. When you get recalled, you don't have to interview, just show up. You may have to do some refresher training, or repaet all new-hire training depending on how long you were gone.

You usually do NOT accrue longevity while on furlough...a two-year pilot who is furloughed for seven years returns as a two-year pilot for pay purposes, not a nine-year pilot. I think there a very few companies where you do accrue longevity on furlough.

You can always go work for someone else, but other airlines may require that you resign your seniority with the furlough airline. Charter and part 91 operations will usually let you keep your airline seniority number. This is a complex issue, and such a resignation may not be considered valid by the furlough airplane anyway...cross that bridge when you get to it.