Effective date for age 65

[sleeves]

Unless you were there for the autopsy...you really don't know what caused those cardiac events other than a clogged artery ( -ies).

3 guys is not an epidemic...nor cause for alarm. If they or anybody is really stressed from this job...they really should look for something else...or get on a treadmill.

3 Guys in a couple of months is a cause for alarm. It is unsafe. As you increase in age so does your chance of a heart attack.

The stress I talk about is from working much harder and longer in recent years. It adds up on your body. This profession in particular with its odd hours and abnormal bio rhythms takes its toll on most. I guess what little time we have with our family's we should be spending on a tread mill.

 

[Flopgut]

Tejas,

8 to 5 says Flop is most likely not happy with his job. Although I agree with him on age 60.

Personally this issue is nothing but greed from both sides of the fence. Why stop at 65. Why not fly till we die. There has to be a place to cut it off. I say keep it status quo. Keeps every one moving with the same expectations as before and no one gets a windfall at someone else's expence.

Heck no I'm not happy! I mean CAL is great, and personally things are fine. But it takes a lot more than things going well at "my house" for me to be happy. I want everyone doing this to see increase and an improved landscape going forward. That being said, those in the twilight have got to go. They've had increase and been afforded for pretty well. If things are looking tough for them in retirement, well, they knew that was a possibility. In many cases, they benefited from bad things happening to others and should have taken that into consideration for their planning. The good guys (and gals) are going to be fine, there are jobs looking for them and their family's will be fine. The losers are lost. Always will be and there is no reason we should have to warehouse them to the detriment of the majority. Time for them to cut bait and us to fish. I'm all for any other type of retirement vehicle for the soon to be retired. A bond or a push for a railroad retirement like deal would be great. Anything that keeps seniority moving.

To be quite candid: I think the reason they have put this possible change in front of us now is to destabilize our future collective bargaining. Changing the rule will put an extra million in a very few pilots' wallets, and cost thousands of pilots hundreds of millions in the next twenty years.

 

[Flopgut]

I can live with this either way. Kinda like wanting the Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl ( or at least get in it). Nothing bad happens ( or has happened)to me if they don't.

I would like to see the age change to age 65...but if it doesn't, I'll still be OK at age 60. In fact, if it does go to age 65...I plan to to go into semi-retirement at age 60 and put my trips in "Give Away" and just fly what I wanna fly.

Kinda bugs me. A lot of you guys think you're going to go into semi retirement if the age changes. Many pilots are going to go without captains pay in order for you to do this. And since there are a lot of you that think like this, it's going to be a large effect. Captains pay is really what makes this job work, you know. It's the only reason you could even think of semi retirement in your latter years. Is that going to be fair to your employer? Maybe, maybe not. If your employer doesn't care it will be because you can craft a deal that enables it by taking something from your juniorcoworkers. Do you feel like you owe your junior coworkers anything? Yeah, I know SWA pays well more quickly than others, but captains pay is the real kicker here. I know. I started drawing it somewhat recently and it's a huge difference (even at CAL). The age change really drives a wedge in this profession, and it's unfortunate more senior pilots like yourself choose to ignore it.

My deal with CAL is this: Frozen A plan has (approximate) lump sum payments...

30+ years= 800-900k

20+ years= 600-700k

15-20 years= 400-500k

Less than 12= no greater than 99k

A 10 year employee CAN NOT make up the 700k difference in 20 years of employment under the new B plan, the way things are now. The design was to protect both the 100% lump sum option and the max dollars for those nearing 20+ years/retirement and that the most junior employees could try to bargain for more later. In effect, junior pilots were hedged to protect the more senior. Now that's allright and was close to the best possible outcome we could get. However, change the age, and look what happens: 20+ years is a captain and is going to rake in right at an additional 1 million on a great schedule, while pilots with <15 years will end up LOSING around 300k in the same time period, on top of being left out of the A plan. Junior pilots already leaned in and took a pitch for the team, now they are suppose to take another so the top members can hoard another windfall?! I'd rather not see that. I'd rather they excuse themselves and I'll take my chance in future collective bargaining. Because, they aren't going to see the big picture. They will want even more. Or, they will be like you and want to work part time and let others work full time for the same or less.

Some version of this phenomenon has gone on at almost every carrier. The age change won't/can't get balanced out.

 

[bluefishbeagle]

With todays schedules that push the human body to it's limit, don't worry about the age 65 rule, you probably won't make it to 60 much less 65.

Get out at 55 and find out whats it's like to have a life.

Plan your career, keep the same wife, live below yours means and save your money. If you can't retire at 60 after a 30-40 year career then you most likely won't be in any better shape at 65.