Leave of Absence

[ShyFlyGuy]

Gentlemen, ladies, Fletch;

Once again, I turn to the amazing wealth of knowledge and bullsh... that is FlightInfo. Here we go:

-What is an acceptable reason for taking a leave of absence from an airline?
-How does it affect my relationship with work?
-Will I lose all my privilages (flight, medical, etc) while on leave?

Thank you all for your opinions. If anyone actually knows what they're talking about, please state so prior to divulging your information.

Thanks, everyone!

Shy

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Do you even need to give a reason for a LOA? I didn't think one was necessary? If your company can afford to remove you from payroll for one month, then it would be a benefit to both parties.

I believe you would keep your seniority for bidding purposes and such, but it would be halted while you are on leave regarding pay increases for years of service.

Not sure about passes.

 

[bailout]

At ASA if you are on LOA or FMLA you lose travel privs, BUT you can still jumpseat!

 

[jtf]

It all depends on where you work and what the contract you work under says. Some contracts are definitely better than others for LOAs. Personal LOAs will usually have a time limit and will usually depend on the needs of the company as to whether or not they will be allowed. If your company is in the toilet and has quite an overabundance of reserves, it will be very welcome. If your company is run pretty short- good luck. I couldn't get one at Trans States when I was there since they worked the crap out us since it's cheaper to junior assign than properly staff. However I've met more than one from Comair who took LOAs and then started elsewhere and kept the jumpseat priveliges as long as possible- good move if you ask me. Good luck with the LOA.

 

[JohnnyP]

....

Im in the same boat. I was looking for a LOA for one year, maybe more. Only, our contract specifies we can get 90 days. So im not sure where that leaves me. Ive never delt with asking for a leave, so im not sure how my company would react, depending on the reason for the leave.

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

I'm not looking to pull one over on the company, I just don't see a reason to come to work. I don't really want to work anymore...

My buddy told me to check the company website. If you know which airline I work for, you know that we don't have a very good website... yet. It's come a long way, but it still needs a lot. One thing they don't have on there is the LOA form. I remember seeing the form in our FLOP or in the CFM... but I've been searching and can't find anything. Hmmm...

The other thing is, I think they know who I am, so they're probibally reading this... dammit!

Shy

 

[Slice121]

You could always join the guard or reserves as a pilot or any other position and they's have to let you go...

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

Yeah... no, that's not the idea. I want the job, just not right now. I was told to expect an upgrade in 8-10 months. Now it's looking more like 18 months. Seeing as how I'm only on month 12 right now, I'm making jack, and getting all this invaluable SIC time, I don't want to be here right now. I want to go back to flight instructing for six months and make some REAL money, and come back when they're ready to upgrade me. Make sense? I qualify for the upgrade, we just have too many people right now on the property.

Keep the thoughts coming...

Shy

 

[Rogue5]

I was told to expect an upgrade in 8-10 months. Now it's looking more like 18 months. Seeing as how I'm only on month 12 right now, I'm making jack, and getting all this invaluable SIC time, I don't want to be here right now.

:laugh: :crying: :bawling:

That pretty much sums it up...

 

[atrdriver]

So let's see. You don't want to sit in the right and learn from Captains, you just want to leave until you can upgrade. Are you one of those guys who think that they already know everything there is to know about the airline business and flying? There is a reason that people start in the right seat. If you really think that you are fully qualified to upgrade after 18 months, much less 12 months, you are sadly mistaken. I don't even believe that you would actually admit that you don't want to fly 121 ops unless you can do it as a Captain. It's pretty apparant to me that you need to make that LOA a permanent one and get out of airline flying, cause you don't have any business being there.

 

[Godfather]

Can your Godfather be of any help?

I'm not looking to pull one over on the company, I just don't see a reason to come to work. I don't really want to work anymore...

My buddy told me to check the company website. If you know which airline I work for, you know that we don't have a very good website... yet. It's come a long way, but it still needs a lot. One thing they don't have on there is the LOA form. I remember seeing the form in our FLOP or in the CFM... but I've been searching and can't find anything. Hmmm...

The other thing is, I think they know who I am, so they're probibally reading this... dammit!

Shy

Check your PMs....We need to talk my son.

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

Check your PMs....We need to talk my son.

I TOLD YOU! Ohhh boy, this can't be good.

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

So let's see. You don't want to sit in the right and learn from Captains, you just want to leave until you can upgrade. Are you one of those guys who think that they already know everything there is to know about the airline business and flying? There is a reason that people start in the right seat. If you really think that you are fully qualified to upgrade after 18 months, much less 12 months, you are sadly mistaken. I don't even believe that you would actually admit that you don't want to fly 121 ops unless you can do it as a Captain. It's pretty apparant to me that you need to make that LOA a permanent one and get out of airline flying, cause you don't have any business being there.

Driver,

I didn't take offense to your post because I know you know nothing about me. I have learned so much from the men that I've flown with and even from the a-holes I've flown with. It's not about learning or paying my dues, because, again, you don't know where I'm coming from. When it comes down to brass tacks, it's about money. I love flying, I love flying 121, I love flying the aircraft I fly, I love (most of) the people I work with, I love the gate agents... this is a great job. But I need more than $16,400 a year.

But I shop at the crack-and-dent store where you can get (expired) Powerbars for $.20, cans of beans (packed with ebola) for $.05, and soup-in-a-bowl (the real stuff) for $.50 a can. They've been out of Powerbars for two months, so I've had to switch to the lable-less cans for $.05 and the expired soup-in-a-bowl. I am so poor, that I've collected change from my buddy's couch to buy 10 of those damn soups and get enough gas in my car to make it to the airport. I haven't paid him my "half" of rent since November, I've defaulted on my mortgage, filled my bald tire with fix-a-flat four times now, and I've had to ration my cans of soup to two-a-day. I have begun stuffing the can with the pretzles that are in the plane to give the soup a more filling quality so I don't realize how malnutritioned and hungry I really am. I've lost 30lbs since starting this job 13 months ago and I haven't had a date in over a year because I can't afford the $.25-per-cup of coffee it takes to qualify "hanging out" as a date. You know why the ebola cans are $.05? It's not because they've got ebola in them... if they could prove that, they'd have scientific value. It's because the lable is gone! I'm tired of being so cheap that I can't let a can of rotton dog food go to waste that I know that Iams tastes better with ramen noodles and a dash of milk!

I took this job betting on the fact that I would be raking in capitans pay in under 12 months, but now it's looking like that dream (screw the flight time and the type-rating... give me the effing money) is still 6-8 months off. I'm never going to make it... unless they realize they chopped up mad-cows to make the Iams and it drops to $.02 per can... then I could make it another 12 months. Ain't life a trip?

Shy

 

[atrdriver]

So do what I did when I was on first year pay. Get a part time job that you can work when you aren't flying. I worked as a mechanic (auto) on my off days, with the place knowing that if work (airline) called I had to leave. No, I didn't like working 2 jobs and not having any time at home, but then again I wasn't going to let my family go without. If you have been there 13 months then your pay should be double now that you have passed 1 year of service, which should make things easier. I know what not having money is like, but there are other ways to make ends meet than taking a LOA until the day before upgrade ground school starts.

 

[MEL'ed]

Come on man, you've were in the aviation industry between 2001 and the time you got your 121 job. Didn't you realize that current upgrade trends and times do not always last as long as you needed them to and take this into account? You apparently knowingly took the job for 16.4 a year thinking you would make more when you upgraded. Looking back that must have been a mistake, no? Don't jump on a shatty pay 121 job, continue flight instructing with the "good money" and wait a little longer and get on with a company where you make 22-24 the first year and don't have to eat crap out of cans. Why not quit, go back and instruct and get on with a different company with better pay and not just worry about upgrading? I don't make tons of extra cash but on first year pay I eat very well, enjoy a great social life, and have had enough spare money to nicely furnish my house and travel on time off. I guess taking a shotty pay job anticipating an upgrade was foolish in my opinion and I don't sympathize with you at all. I say quit and do yourself, your pax, and the guy sitting next to you a huge favor.

 

[Standby 1]

Feel free to shoot me a PM....I've been on leave for 9 months now (albeit, mine is a medical leave), and although every airline is different with their leave policies, perhaps I could help you navigate thru the process.

If you don't have to quit, don't. It's that simple. If your company will accomodate leaves then take advantage of it. Leaves are usually negotiated into a contract for a reason so you have every right to take advantage of it.