Accruing longevity while on furlough- Which Major Airlines had this?

[Vref+10]

I tried posting this earlier, but I think it got dumped when the Flightinfo server crashed.

I was curious which major airlines allowed pilots to accrue longevity towards pay while out on furlough? AA, UAL, US Air, CAL, NWA, Delta....

My friend at Delta was out for 3 years, and when he came back, he was at 6 year pay (he already had 3 years in before the furlough).

 

[RichardFitzwell]

No longevity at Continental.

 

[iflyhigh]

No longevity at United.

 

[G4G5]

None at AA

 

[densoo]

I tried posting this earlier, but I think it got dumped when the Flightinfo server crashed.

I was curious which major airlines allowed pilots to accrue longevity towards pay while out on furlough? AA, UAL, US Air, CAL, NWA, Delta....

My friend at Delta was out for 3 years, and when he came back, he was at 6 year pay (he already had 3 years in before the furlough).

Sometimes the airline offers COLA (Company Offered Leave of Absence) as an option instead of furlough. Furlough usually requires the company to make an immediate payout that is based on the pilots years of service and payscale. The COLA kicks the can down the road because the pilot takes nothing now, but keeps longevity while on COLA. Company loses the pilot, keeps the money, and sticks its head in the sand in regards to the fact that in five years the returning COLA pilot will make up the furlough pay and then more in just a few years at the higher pay scale. Few people opt for COLAs though because pilots don't have any money put away or replacement income so they need the furlough payout now.

An unusual case happened at Expressjet recently that is related to this issue, though. The senior pilots there in the late 90s negotiated a flow through agreement at CAL that preserved their longevity at Express, even if they left the company and were hired at the mainline. They were, if effect, active on two ALPA seniority lists and accruing seniority on two ALPA lists at once. If they got "furloughed" from CAL they would flow back to Express at their original date of hire at Express as if they had never left. Don't know if this was unique in the airline industry, but it was a heck of good deal. What did they trade for this? All CAL "furloughs," including those who were never at Express, would also get to flow back to jobs at Express. Their so-called date of hire at Express would be inserted as their date of hire at the CAL. Also a heck of deal. This was so outgrageous that no one thought it would ever happen. When 650 pilots flowed back in 2001 to 2003, there were a lot of pilots displaced down and off the Express list. The prior Express pilots, because they came back at their original Expressjet date of hire, took over all the tops spots as the most senior pilots for a couple of years.

This was done away with in the last contract. You can imagine why.

 

[SWA/FO]

None....

 

[charley varrick]

At NW you could accrue one-year of longevity while on furlough, if you were off probation.

 

[Dennis Miller]

My friend at Delta was out for 3 years, and when he came back, he was at 6 year pay

Which is unfortunately the old 2 year pay.

 

[RichardFitzwell]

All CAL "furloughs," including those who were never at Express, would also get to flow back to jobs at Express. Their so-called date of hire at Express would be inserted as their date of hire at the CAL. Also a heck of deal. This was so outgrageous that no one thought it would ever happen. When 650 pilots flowed back in 2001 to 2003, there were a lot of pilots displaced down and off the Express list.

Just a small correction. Not ALL the 634 CAL pilots were offered the option to flow back to Express in 2001. About 80 pilots were a straight furlough with no options and no lump sum payout.

It's all good...

 

[Vref+10]

oh, so Delta was the only one then.