Good for Life?

[eolesen]

How much IT work would it really take to give a "free travel" balance in the EE data file that would still allow the use of the Certificate for travel and still allow AA to be ticketless?

Just because AA wants to go ticketless doesnt mean there isnt another way to allow EE free travel for Perfect Attendance.

How many unused certs are there, and how many would never be redeemed?

Throwing money into IT is easy, but it isn't always a smart move, especially if there are only a couple thousand unused certs.

Getting AAdv miles could be a better way of accomodating it if the exchange rate were fair. Confirmed space is the only way to go, and it used to really suck to have to hand out middle seat in coach to someone using 5+ year passes to go to LHR, FRA, NRT, etc...

Bob, it takes 250k for an F award to Europe. 40 to 60k in Y, 100k in J. You're better off with the D2 rates.

 

[lpbrian]

How many unused certs are there, and how many would never be redeemed?

Throwing money into IT is easy, but it isn't always a smart move, especially if there are only a couple thousand unused certs.

Getting AAdv miles could be a better way of accomodating it if the exchange rate were fair. Confirmed space is the only way to go, and it used to really suck to have to hand out middle seat in coach to someone using 5+ year passes to go to LHR, FRA, NRT, etc...

Bob, it takes 250k for an F award to Europe. 40 to 60k in Y, 100k in J. You're better off with the D2 rates.

Thanks guys for reminding me. I have a 6 mo. perfect attendance pass I never knew I had. It's only a D2 pass. that means it's only worth anything if you want to travel first class, and that is never a given.....

 

[Bob Owens]

How many unused certs are there, and how many would never be redeemed?

Why should that matter? They still made a deal and now they dont want to live up to it. I'm sure that many AAdvantage miles are never redeemed.

Getting AAdv miles could be a better way of accomodating it if the exchange rate were fair. Confirmed space is the only way to go, and it used to really suck to have to hand out middle seat in coach to someone using 5+ year passes to go to LHR, FRA, NRT, etc...

Bob, it takes 250k for an F award to Europe. 40 to 60k in Y, 100k in J. You're better off with the D2 rates.

Well maybe they should convert them to a fair value in AAdvantage miles. If the pass is enough to have gotten them first class then give them 250K.

 

[1AA]

Don't you like the way AA made this announcement in October right after most employees have no VC left and the summer season is over. Most employees use the summer months for travel because the kids are out on summer break. They give you two months to use whatever you have left or lose them. If you have a bunch of these certificates and no VC left then you fell into AA's trap. They planned this dishonest, deceptive underhanded change to reduce costs. This is just another form of a concession from a small group of employees. Sure you can transfer them to AAdvantage miles but those miles add up to nothing unless you have thousands and thousands of points. You can also claim back credit on Non-rev travel but for travel from January of 08 to October 08. That can be a loss if you did not travel that much or have a stack of certificates. Either way AA planned this whole thing to fall into place in October and leave us with nothing.

 

[TWU informer]

This fiasco is exactly why workers need and should require that every item that we deal with AA on be in the labor agreement and negotiated.

Of course with the TWU negotiating the give away would be the same, but someday we might actually become intelligent enough to get a new union and deal with this company the way they should be dealt with.

eolesen,

If AA can make the retro use available, then AA could make the certificate available for future use also in the same manner.

That wouldn't require IT investment.

The point is that no way is the only option available to management to eliminate the certification under the smoke screen of the need for ticketless travel.

You know as well as anyone this as all BS and management once again didn't think through a change in policy. We better give these decision makers another bonus so they don't go to another carrier and "help" them out.

 

[eolesen]

I don't disagree that they could make retro use possible at any time.

When did the program end? 2003? 2001?

Y'all complain on an hourly basis that management is wasteful, yet when they try to finally stop incurring the costs associated to supporting a program which officially ended five or more years ago, y'all act like they cut your left nut off...

Most incentive certs given to customers have a use it or lose it date. What's good enough for your customers should be good enough for you...

 

[TWU informer]

Y'all complain on an hourly basis that management is wasteful, yet when they try to finally stop incurring the costs associated to supporting a program which officially ended five or more years ago, y'all act like they cut your left nut off...

Most incentive certs given to customers have a use it or lose it date. What's good enough for your customers should be good enough for you...

It's much more than my left nut.

It's:

17.5% in pay
5 Vacation Days
5 Holidays
1/2 Pay upon getting sick
Unlimited increases in medical payroll deductions
less pay for overtime
reduction is sick leave accrual
No more payout for money saving ideAAs
and production improvements without a return value

and now
loss of use of Perfect Attendance Certificates

Left Nut my ass! It is more like $150,000.00 plus while management takes a position is negotiations that a return of anything we lost has to be a quid pro quo agreement whereby we have to give up an equal or greater value for every gain. Pfffttt, strike the worthless jerks and bring 'em all down!

ME personally, I have bigger problem with my piece of crap union that management spent thousands to defend and protect. SO since they protected the worthless union, now management is just as much my enemy. If management didn't seek this attitude then thy should have followed the law and stayed out of my rights to choose representation. They didn't choose that path, thus they will be subjected to my complaints for the rest of my carreer or until the TWU is gone whichever comes first.

You on the other admit our union sucks yet defend the worthless union defenders just as hourly as complaining is submitted. Management made their choice, and now they want out of the fray. Can't stand the heat...

they should have stayed out of the Kitchen.

I am no longer excited about management efforts to stop incurring cost at my loss while they pocket millions in bonus awards and stock. Maybe they should look at the cost associated with 100's of my co-workers having to manage the maintenance base for them while they are still overpaid and over awarded for the fact they cannot manage without us. Paying two people to do one job cannot be superior management and has to be more costly than this simple attendance certificate program.

 

[IORFA]

The program stopped when AAchievers Points and all that ended. Problem is that AA said that the certificates had NO experation date and would alwAAys be good. Well, now they changed their mind. I also have some and they are not worth anything past Dec 31, 2008. They have wAAy more vAAlue to me if I use them for a F/C ticket. AAdvantage Miles are only for the 5 year perfect attendance, and only 5000 miles. WOO, let's see, 5000 miles or F/C international for me or a D-3? Which has more value? They severly diminished their vAAlue overnight and then gAAve us 2 1/2 months to use them. If I had some vacation or better yet AA hadn't slashed capacity, I might be able to go somewhere to use them. Very poor decision on AA's part. Give us real value if you want them gone. At least when they discontinued the AAchievers Points I was able to turn them in for over $100 in Starbucks gift cards to use or give away. With this, you get a kick in the shorts!!

 

[Bob Owens]

Y'all complain on an hourly basis that management is wasteful, yet when they try to finally stop incurring the costs associated to supporting a program which officially ended five or more years ago, y'all act like they cut your left nut off...

Most incentive certs given to customers have a use it or lose it date. What's good enough for your customers should be good enough for you...

Good for life, thats what they were told. What part of that dont you understand? If they were given a use it or lose it date when they announced the program fine but they decided to announce this change on short notice.

 

[upsilon]

Bob Owens, I'm with you on this one.

Back in the '70s, when annual Admirals Club membership was $25, I put up $300 for a 'Lifetime' membership. I figured my work talents were sufficient to keep me employed in a capacity that required flying and the actuarial tables were in my favor.

Although AA has taken a big hit on my AC membership, it hasn't reneged on a customer, nor should it do so with their employees.

I did the same with the Clubs of three other then NYC-HQ airlines; but I found that 'lifetime' applied two ways.

However, the AC membership kept me loyal; and I earned 'Lifetime' AA Platinum status. I expect that to be similarly honored.

 

[JAFA]

Check jetnet for a change. An email came out today that said there would be a procedure to use them until the end of 2009.

 

[butchord45]

I will donate all my perfect attendant certificates to the Museum in Dallas......maybe they can open a wing that shows all the benefits that Employees once had but no longer do......Perfect Attendance Passes, Aachievers awards, something special passes......those are just the once that quickly come to mind.

Butch

 

[JS]

Good grief, what a bunch of crybabies. Hopefully AA will learn their lesson, and rather than reward employees with perfect attendance, they should simply fire everyone in the 90th percentile of sick time use (i.e., 10 most sick employees for every 100). It would be cheaper and more effective!

 

[The Goose]

Good grief, what a bunch of crybabies. Hopefully AA will learn their lesson, and rather than reward employees with perfect attendance, they should simply fire everyone in the 90th percentile of sick time use (i.e., 10 most sick employees for every 100). It would be cheaper and more effective!

That would have an effect on the TWU's dues collections and it's doubtful the company would want to make up the difference in order to keep the International in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.