Spirit one of 5 major airlines who came to an agreement on CARES loans.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/treasury-signs-letters-of-intent-with-five-airlines-for-loans-under-the-cares-act/2020/07/02/da59a92a-bc77-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html%3foutputType=amp

Anyone know if this impacts the company’s ability to furlough?

Same rules apply with the CARES Act. They can still furlough Oct. 1

Not 100% sure, but they might only be able to furlough 10% of workforce if they take these loans? It’s hard to get a clear answer. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

From the Q&A on the Treasury website:
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS
6. Are there any requirements placed on borrowers? To receive a loan, a borrower must agree that: • It will maintain employment levels as of March 24, 2020 to the extent practicable, and in any case not reduce its employment levels by more than 10 percent from the levels on such date, at least until September 30, 2020.

So the workforce reduction restriction seems to expire the same date as for the grants.

If we’d taken the loan but not the grant, NK could have furloughed 10% immediately. Then whomever starting Oct 1, but the grant was more restrictive. So, doesn’t make a difference everything is fair game starting Oct 1.

Semi drunk layover rant that I probably shouldn't post incoming:

Probably not even a hot take incoming but I still cant believe politics are involved in this. The facts are that public perception is all that matters. It doesn't matter if you for whatever reason think masks do nothing and it doesn't matter what science says about corona. The ACTUAL fact here for all of us airline workers, period, is that not wearing a mask is professional suicide right now. Just had a family member (again, doesn't matter if she was right or wrong) cancel a flight because she saw a pilot not wearing a mask in the terminal and therefore was scared the airline (not ours) wasn't taking it seriously. Stop killing off our jobs because of this professional suicide please. I respect everyone's political opinions, but if you are currently walking onto a plane without a mask know you are actively harming your fellow pilots careers.

Again, I don't intend this to be a political statement. Just one of many examples of what the general public thinks about the airline industry right now. If you think a minority think this way take your head out of the sand please and wake up. Put aside stupid pride or political views in favor of keeping us all employed. I'm honestly so mad right now that I even have to make this statement. Plenty of pilots smarter than me ought to have realized long ago that their own political views just don't matter when it comes to the reputation of the airline industry. Absolute insanity. Stop sabotaging fellow pilots with this vapid stupidity and keep it at the dinner table for now.

Again, sorry for the drunkpost but I stand by what I said. If you think masks are a problem you are bat**** crazy right now. Its such a minor inconvenience to wear one until you get into the cockpit and shut the door. What in the hell. We are looking at real furloughs because of people unwilling to wear masks causing a second wave this very second and its utterly insane. Rant over.

Are you also going to tell me that I have to wash my hands too? The government has no right to make me wash my hands after taking a dump!

I will wear a mask if it means people continue to fly. I'm sorry but there is no second wave. Wearing mask is a constant reminder of fear and it is totally political right now. Some hospitals are shutting down and laying off. The death rate is decreasing and there are more cases because we are testing like crazy. And for the mask it is like trying to stop a fart with your underwear, it basically does nothing. All it does is constantly remind people of the virus and fear. But like you said, I'll wear it in hopes that people fly more.

Honestly I cant agree more. But that said what I'm super mad about is the guys and gals that wont wear a mask because they don't realize the basic fact that masks matter for keeping our jobs. The raw facts right now are pointing at the new cases per day metrics directly correlating to air travel metrics. This just isn't the time to try to flex political ideals at people; its a time to just roll with it to protect your fellow pilots, FAs, and other airline workers.

If spirit goes the way other airlines have already announced (thousands of furloughs announced/warned) it will quite literally be on the backs of anyone who took actions that spread the coronavirus. Again, not trying to be political and I will not comment on the relative lethality of the virus, but we simply need to act to contain this even if we agree or disagree with the conclusions reached by the general scientific community regarding this virus. Anything else is professional suicide.

Again, this is a hot take for most pilots. I realize that. But please, just give it a thought guys. I'm not asking you to believe corona is some 100% lethal virus; I'm asking you to be realistic about what will keep our jobs going.

I’m sure this is flame bait but the government isn’t telling you anything in this case. Your employer is. It’s not against our CBA and it’s not against the employee handbook. Therefore, either do it or choose to work elsewhere. Same goes with with people visiting a business. Business requires a mask you either wear it or shop elsewhere. Spirit doesn’t care whether the mask helps or hurts anyone. They only care what get people on planes and the vast majority of customers want fellow customers and employees wearing a mask.

These Internet videos of people going nuts over the masks are ridiculous. Simply don’t shop at that business.

Now put the dang thing on while the door is open and anytime you go out. For bonus points ask your partner that may be flying with 30 different pilots a month three feet away if they mind if you remove it now that the door is closed.

This is not hard.