New UAL/CAL pass travel program announced

[ArcadiaMaxima]

I like the SWA model.....first come first served....if your family is with you they get higher priority than basic non rev without the employee with them or buddy pass person. If the ramper gets there first he/she wins.....there is a trick to win but I wont revel that here because I have group of 5 going somewhere soon and might need the advantage......I hate the senority crap....mostly because I am junior.....the guy above me didn't earn anything except his parents got drunk a year earlier than mine

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[UC35Pilot]

There appears to be a misunderstanding. The following is an extract from the Q and A provided to employees. BL – Family members NOT traveling with employee will travel at a lower priority. If traveling with employee…then they travel at the same priority. Commuters…you’ll be ok. See top 3 (10 total) boarding priorities below.

Boarding Priority A: Travel using a vacation pass by:
o Employees, retirees and their accompanied eligible pass riders
o Unaccompanied spouse/domestic partner* of an employee or retiree, and their accompanied eligible pass riders
In addition, up to two regular buddy pass riders and unlimited extended family buddy pass riders can travel at Boarding Priority A when accompanied by an employee or spouse/domestic partner using a vacation pass.
* Enrolled friends do not have the same boarding priority as spouses or domestic partners in these cases.

Boarding Priority B: Travel by the following pass riders when not using a vacation pass:
o Employees and their accompanied eligible pass riders
o Employees’ unaccompanied spouses/domestic partners* and their accompanied eligible pass riders
In addition, up to two regular buddy pass riders and unlimited extended family buddy pass riders can travel at Boarding Priority B when accompanied by an employee or their spouse/domestic partner* using a personal pass.
* Enrolled friends do not have the same boarding priority as spouses or domestic partners in these cases.

Boarding Priority C: Travel by the following pass riders when not using a vacation pass:
o Retirees and their accompanied eligible pass riders
o Retirees’ unaccompanied spouses/domestic partners* and their accompanied eligible pass riders

Unfortunately, I haven’t found any mention of utilization longevity and Military Leave of Absence. Currently, CAL cuts off your travel benefits after 2yrs while on MLA. Not good. Hope that changes.

 

[JohnQ]

Not that I care about UAL/CAL's policies, but to clarify:

- At DAL the immediate family members (spouse and kids) get the same priority as any other employee, whether or not they are actually with the employee in the first place. They also have the right to select a higher than normal priority up to six times a year (as all employees do).

- If a buddy pass rider or non-dependent child (i.e. kid older than 23 and out of college) travels solo, they are in a lower hierarchy than active employees on the standby list (as it should be). If, and only if, they are on the same listing as the active employee, then their priority is bumped up to the same status as the active employee they are traveling with. In this instance, however, the active employee can only use the "normal" standby priority and can not use his 6-times-a-year higher status.

- Within those constraints, it is strictly by date of hire of the employee that determines who gets on, subject to various hierarchies (such as all retirees come behind all active employees, parents come after active employees and family, but before buddy pass riders, etc)

 

[Dan Roman]

"gramps" ....Classic!

Had to laugh at that. He doesn't know me, but he had to throw in an insult to accompany the "facts" he made up. Right out of the Fox news playbook!

 

[Dan Roman]

Dan you might want to re read the thread. If you are accompanying your wife and family you should travel at your boarding priority no debate there.

However if your Wife and Kids are non-revving on a flexible schedule without you (the Employee);
Should they really have boarding priority over an Employee?

Then consider the fact that the Employee they bump is a commuting crew member.

The commuting crew member isn't pleasure riding like your family. They are going to work. They are an Employee going to work to generate revenue for the company.

Now this wonderful Management team (CAL) last year displaced 300 pilot positions from EWR to IAH. Mgmt. said "it was to give commuters better options and connections out of IAH?" The reality it was to mitigate the voting power of a very unified EWR base. Over 60 Jr. pilots who bit the bullet and moved to the New York area were displaced to IAH. After residing to the fact that EWR would be the Jr. base and it was best to move their families to the Jr. base Mgmt. threw them a curve ball. So now IAH is the Jr. base and flying out of the IAH base is forced thru EWR. On the 737 and 757 IAH pairings there are lots of EWR overnights. Some 4 day trips out of IAH even layover 2 nights out of 3 in EWR.

So moving for this company is not really a good decision for Jr. folks. At CAL we have seen LAX, DEN, IAD, GSO, SEA, HNL and other pilot domiciles close. In addition to EWR realignment, CLE has shrunk by 2/3. The best advice I ever got from Captains I have flown with at CAL was to live where you need to. If you need to live close to family then do it. Don't move to a base a count on it being there. It was unimaginable that EWR would be more Sr. then IAH. Thanks Mgmt.

I can totally see the rational behind it from the displaced crews deal. That's a good point. On further thought I would think displaced crewmembers should deserve a sort of company business priority on boarding when going to work from their old domicle to their new one.

 

[IBNAV8R]

Any word on "membership" fees?

 

[tmac3333]

Not true about mil leave and passes. I've been on military leave for 3.5 years and still get vacation passes added annually at CAL as if I was still active. Just pass rode 2 weeks ago with no issue on vacation pass with my daughter.

 

[UC35Pilot]

Really? Are you EWR based? Because the IAH 73 CP, Capt Rivera, told me that I have exceeded the two year MilLeave pass limits and am no longer authorized to travel until I return. I will contact you privately to discuss more. It is published in the pass and travel doc's.

 

[Fly4life]

Does anyone know how this affects furloughees? I wonder if we will maintian our date of hire seniority for boarding priority? I am a 2000 new hire. When I use my passes now as a furloughee I show a seniorty date of July 2000 and Priority 8A.

 

[tmac3333]

To close the loop...vacation passes OK, personal passes stop after 2 years.