USAir Furlough Recall: My Decision

[AA717driver]

FA--Nice update. I think you're in a position that a lot of people were/are/will be in.

You like the airline life but it's not what it was--there's not pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow (it's in the senior management's bank account now...). But, other areas (seemingly more secure) just aren't doing it for you.

It's tough to choose one over the other. Enjoy the time you have at home--something you can't get back. TC

 

[Linedriver]

FurloughedAgain,

You probably felt like you were making a lose - lose decision. Either way you felt like you were leaving something good behind. I think you made the right decision. You have been there and tried it - now you have other responsibilities and little ones that depend on you. My hunch is that when your kids are grown you will be glad you were there for the important times.

In the end we all work for money. Some people like the airline lifestyle and others don't. It's just a matter of preference.

Get something going on the side to keep you busy; buy a daycare or other small business and you will be making airline pay again plus you have a built in plan B.

Good job!

 

[G4G5]

My guess is that for most guys at DAL, NWA and UAL, they will need to purchase a new uniform before you need to buy a new suit

I just finished reading your post and agree with you. I am constantly having this discussion with the old man over a beer (retired DAL), the airline profession is not what most of us who got into it pre 9/11 signed up for. I am furloughed AA (passed on recall) and have my doubts about going back.

Like you I enjoy my family and spending time with my 2 and 4 year old (they are great and they actually like me). Airline pilots are kidding themselves, QOL is not there unless you live in base and bid in the top 30% of your equipment. I can remember sitting with my brother and sister as a kid waiting until 12/26 or 27 until dad got home before we could celebrate X-mas or the fact that I would be eating turkey at a friends house because T-giving for us was always on next Sunday. I tried to avoid this, by moving to an airline where I could live in base and put off up grades in order to preserve Q of L, ahhh the best laid plans.

What I have found with most airline pilots is, family secondary, they would chose to go to 777 training in Nov or Dec Vs waiting. Or if their CA up grade comes they would sooner cancel the family vacaton and spend the summer in Dallas. No thanks.

Corporate is not nirvana, (ask TC, AA717), like I have always said a good corporate job blows away any airline job (UPS and Fedex included) and a bad corporate job will have you wishing you were the night shift mop up boy at a porno theatre (I've had both) . What I have discovered is that most fall some where in between. The one thing for certain is that their will be rich people and that once they have gone corporate they don't go back. If you look at the back log of orders for corporate jets, they far out pace what Boeing has, people can't get their hands on them fast enough (spoke to a friend last week who's boss was just told by Gulfstream that he would have to wait until 2011 for his new aircraft and if he didn't want to pay the LIST price, he could go somewhere else).

I would have more reservations about that airline career being their when you retire, vs the corporate job being their. I would have more concern about my health care being their with Delta then with corporate or your retirement at AA. The beauty of corporate is, have type rating will travel, their are nearly 800 G4's alone, countless Lear's, Falcon's, Cessna's and Hawkers where your type rating will guarantee that you can put food on the table, a lot more valuable then any 737 or 777 rating. The days of defined bennies are gone and working for just one company your entire career are over. Put the investment in yourself.

The days of the union are over, I agree with you ALPA and the APA are out to protect the senior pilot not the jr folks. I can actually remember the day I told my wife not to worry (pregnant with our first) because I just got back from the union meeting and they tell me that "I am furlough protected"

Enjoy your family, your decision and don't look back.

 

[spitfire1500]

Everything about ALPA you said hit it right on the head!!! Sorry Obama!!

 

[ratherfish]

Wow, it doesn't seem like that much time has gone by since "class".

I didn't land the straight corporate gig. I'm at that small frictional ownership operation. QOL is pretty good. ALL (to the man) of my buds who left this company and are at airlines, wish they were back.

QOL took some big hits for me personally with our latest deal. It really improved life for our newbies though. It has been fantastic flying with guys who can now afford life. Everyone I've been paired with has been top shelf.

Once I bid out of my plane, down to a more junior plane, I will gain control of my life again. It kind of feels like airline-new-hire all over again. It should be a fixable, short term problem though. I need to get back to the point where I feel like a playa and not like I'm bein played. Perception is reality.

Who knows, I may fall in love w/ my new reserve schedule but at first glance it seems like a big hit to my personal life away from airplanes. Pagers and I don't mix. I'm at my best in places where cell phones don't reach.

For me, at my point in life, going back to USAir wasn't even close to an option. Reasons for this decision have been hashed out and posted previously. I'm done looking back.

I have nearly all of February off. Doing week of skiing in Whistler and a couple weeks of nothing in Cabo. Lodging covered by Hilton, some of the airline tickets covered by FF points...it's all good.

Buyer be ware: rapid accumulation of hilton pts is an old contract thing. I'll still be collecting the pts, but not like before. Not complainin just esplainin. I won't engage in a pissing match over the new deal. I'm happy and thankful for our union.

I too still get a little pang when I see a dark blue bus go by. I think that means your human. That was the prize after all. It's not the prize for me anymore.

Best of luck to all.

The right job is the one that works for you.

 

[PHXFLYR]

[quote,.

Grabbing the brass ring was tough. Giving it back was much, much tougher.[/quote]
Really??? Dare you to look your 2 year old in the eye and say that.....

PHXFLYR

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Really??? Dare you to look your 2 year old in the eye and say that....

Good point. But as much as this little fella likes airplanes (poor guy) I think he'd understand.