Message to Retirees RE: Pass Policy

[700UW]

Excellent Bambi!! Indeed valid Commuters going to/from home to job should have priority! Now how do you get that message across to the "Powers That Be" ????? :unsure:

2B

They also made the choice not to live where they work, they should not get any special treatment.

 

[Barbell]

Who asked you to commute? I think that is YOUR choice. You had rather commute than move to where you work.... and you want to be given special privilages so you can do what you want to do.

Um...Bambi doesn't commute...

 

[Bambi]

Um...Bambi doesn't commute...

Thx Barbell, I don't commute..unless you talk fighting the crazy traffic in Phx not commuting! However, we forget that it's not JUST about the airline employee...many are married, many have spouses in secure jobs that may not give them the opportunity to move to another location. They don't have options in this. So, therefore, why should the spouse have to suffer job loss, less pay (seein' as they have to make up for the lack of it in the airline industry these days), etc? Bottom line is this...we all need to be thankful we're not paying the crazy prices for some flightS and markets that are out there. We have options. ID20 being one of them (positive space discounted tkt for emp and family members). Or, we can nonrev...take our chances..pray nothing cancelled prior tO the flights that are barely open for us. OR, we just deal with what's handed to us and be thankful for the little that IS left in the industry today! Next thing you know active employees will be required to PAY for nonreving! Ooops...Shhh...management monitors these boards! Dont want to give them ideas now. All in all...just be THANKFUL!

 

[heyray]

If the commuters are doing a favor by coming to work when they were scheduled off and agreed to work, then I say give them the PS ticket. Otherwise, I've seen many commuters wait until the last flight of the day that would get them to checkin on time and then have a fit when something happens, meanwhile, 2 or 3 flights went out earlier in the day with seats open on them. They have the ability to check loads and (excluding irregular ops) should be able to know if they need to make alternate arrangements to get to work on time (ID90s, leave the night before, etc).

A favor would indicate doing something for free. I believe the commuters are compenstated for the time they put in. And again, you DO have a choice...commute or not commute, plain and simple. If you don't want to move, and think you deserve special treatment, i.e. higher boarding priority, then everybody else should be space pos coming back from vacations, day trips, etc. Flight crews do not deserve special treatment for choosing to commute. I respect what they do while on company time, but that does not translate to special treatment.

 

[Seatacus]

then everybody else should be space pos coming back from vacations, day trips, etc.

hmmmmm.......interesting thought. Low priority going hihg priority coming home. But then if you are going on a cruise and have to be there you should be able to have high priority going low coming home.

Maybe we should have an employee boarding priority committee to determine how special our needs are.

Everyone could be ranked with their own special priority. Could you imagine all of the categories? Such as visit sick grandma. single mom commuter, husband with secure job in another city, I don't want to live in PHL so I commute, etc.

This could be very beneficial to the nonrev travel experience.

 

[rjh]

AW employees who at this time have such a total disregard for seniority and everything that comes with it will someday regret this opinion and any actions that they have taken to give seniority less meaning.

Seniority does mean a lot-you get better pay, more vacation time, and better schedules (for those in unions, and many non-union employees).

But--it should NOT give you better use of your flight benefits. More senior employees do not get a better 401(k) package or better medical benefits--why should they get "better" flight benefits???

 

[hula-flyguy]

hmmmmm.......interesting thought. Low priority going hihg priority coming home. But then if you are going on a cruise and have to be there you should be able to have high priority going low coming home.

Maybe we should have an employee boarding priority committee to determine how special our needs are.

Everyone could be ranked with their own special priority. Could you imagine all of the categories? Such as visit sick grandma. single mom commuter, husband with secure job in another city, I don't want to live in PHL so I commute, etc.

This could be very beneficial to the nonrev travel experience.

What an interesting concept. I can just see a few of our own, standing at the gate screaming "Don't you know who I am"? lol Board me first, 'cause I'm special.

 

[Snafu]

The latest from Corporate Communications.



Registered Guests, Waived Fees and More Coming January 1, 2006

US Airways employees and their family members have already begun to reap the benefits of expanded travel privileges, and on January 1, the next phase of the pass policy will take effect. In September, employees learned highlights of the plan for a combined travel program that includes features of both former companies, and introduced a â€try out†method for determining non-rev boarding priority.

The complete policy implementation will take place in phases throughout the coming year; however a good number of perks and changes will be effective January 1. Briefly, those include:

Registered Guest Implementation (for travel on the employee’s “original†airline)
Waived Fees for Retirees
New Boarding priority for Retirees
New fees for parents
Waived cabin pet fees
Waived excess baggage fees


Registered Guest Implementation
All unmarried, active employees as well as those without domestic partners may select a registered guest for pass travel privileges. Registered guests will be eligible for unlimited travel privileges at the same fees as active employees (free), but with an imputed payroll tax to the employee (meaning the employees’ paycheck will reflect the value of the ticket, which will then be taxed).

Initially - effective January 1 - travel will be available on the employee’s original airline only. In a later phase, registered guests will travel “ticketless†on the entire combined route system just like eligible family members on US Airways and US Airways Express flights (both US and HP).

The registered guest option is a first for America West and continues a tradition at US Airways. Now all unmarried, active employees and those without domestic partners will be able to select one registered guest who will travel at the employee’s priority when traveling with the employee and at one level below the employee when traveling alone.

Registering your Registered Guest:
Registration for AWA employees will take place throughout January and US employees will maintain their current registered guest selection through their anniversary date month, i.e., within the calendar month in which their anniversary date falls. Going forward, employees will be able to change their registered guest once a year during their company anniversary month.

A registered guest form is available to print from Compass and theHub, in Outlook under Public Folders and at the Pass Bureau. When submitting the application, please include a magnified copy of your registered guest’s driver’s license or passport page that contains a birth date (we need both picture identification and proof of age). For more information, contact the Pass Bureau at 480-693-8717.


Retirees
Beginning January 1, 2006 all retirees will travel fee waived across the entire route system. Initially, the ID100 paper ticketing process we’re using today will apply to all retirees when traveling on the “other†airline. These paper tickets are available at airport ticket counters or the City Ticket Office in Tempe. In a later phase, retirees will travel ticketless.

Beginning January 1, all retirees (except those with a contractual right to fly at active boarding priority) and accompanying family members will travel one boarding priority below active employees. Right now, that means SA3P for West retirees traveling on HP-operated flights and S4 for East retirees traveling on US-operated flights. Travel on the “other†airline will continue to be S5HP for West employees on East flights and SA3C for East employees on West flights until the merged Employee Travel Application (ETA) is activated in a later phase. Unaccompanied family members will travel at one boarding priority below the retiree’s status.


Parents
Parents of all US Airways employees and retirees will pay for travel effective January 1. This is new for East employees and continues status quo for West employees. The service charge fees are $15 ($40 for Europe and Hawaii) for each separate airline in the itinerary and based upon per direction per person fees (plus segment and security fees and international taxes, where applicable). When the new travel system is in place, this separate airline service fee charging will go away and one service charge per person will apply from origin to destination.


Waived Fees
Employees and eligible family members will enjoy waived fees starting January 1 on such items as excess/oversize baggage and cabin pets.

This baggage policy is not meant to circumvent cargo shipments and airports will determine reasonable usage. Bags are still limited to 100 pounds per piece. There will be no compensation for lost or damaged bags for space available travelers.

In addition, cabin pet fees will be waived across the system for employees and their eligible travelers (meaning the employee doesn’t have to be traveling with the pet, but a registered guest, dependent, etc. will enjoy waived fees as well). All restrictions and rules of carriage apply.


Still to Come…
January 1 marks an interim phase of the final pass policy. There's more to come in later phases, the first of which will take effect later in the quarter. Employees can look forward to:

A web-based travel program. All employees and eligible family members (and retirees) who travel free of charge will be able to list, e-ticket and check-in online. Until we are operating under one reservation system, connectivity will not allow itineraries that include both HP and US flights, so employees will manage these itineraries separately in the travel system.

New guest pass pricing system-wide based on mileage zones.

Guest Pass travelers and family members who pay a fee for travel (parents, etc.) will be able to list on-line but will need to obtain a paper ticket at the airports or Tempe City Ticket Office and check-in at a kiosk or with an agent.

Guest passes will be delivered electronically and will be effective across the entire system. East employees will have already had their 2006 guest passes delivered on January 1, although they are only able to use them for US flights until late in the first quarter. West employees will see their 2006 guest passes when the new electronic system is activated. West employees will also receive their fourth quarter flexi passes in February 2006. Itineraries involving both US and HP operated flights will be priced separately by airline. All listings and changes will be made via the employee website.

HP employees will be able to trade in un-expired flexi passes by bringing or sending flexi-passes to the Employee Travel Services office in Tempe to receive additional electronic guest passes at a rate of three paper to one electronic - look for an announcement as to when this trade-in process will begin. If not traded in, these existing flexi pass coupons will remain valid for other options listed on the pass on HP-operated flights only, through the expiration date on the coupons. Additionally, even if you don’t trade them in, unexpired flexi passes may be used for guest pass ticketing on HP-operated flights only, except that they will still be at a rate of three coupons for one round trip ticket once the mileage-based guest pass pricing is activated.

All employees will receive two vacation passes electronically (retirees will receive one), each pass awards the employee and their accompanying family members SA1P priority for one round-trip across the entire route system.

All employees will follow new boarding priorities and method of boarding will be seniority on US-operated flights and first-come, first-served on HP-operated flights.

First Class upgrades can be purchased for use when traveling on the “other†airline. Details on “how†will be forthcoming.

Employees with at least 12 months service will qualify for discounted personal cargo shipments system wide.

And coming even later (in the 2007 timeframe)…
The two reservations systems are migrated and SHARES becomes US Airways’ reservations system across the company.

The combined reservations system brings with it system-wide non-rev connectivity and guest passes will no longer be fared separately - one itinerary equals one price.

Following everyone’s opportunity to try out both boarding priority processes, US Airways will make a decision about how boarding priority will work.

Questions regarding the new policy should be directed to [email protected] and comments on first-come/first-serve vs. seniority boarding can be sent to [email protected].

 

[hula-flyguy]

Thank you for the great post!

 

[Snafu]

Thank you for the great post!

You're welcome.

Too bad it's not pocket size.

 

[nycbusdriver]

It's just always easiest for a company to screw retirees.

They have no protections at all (even those who have paid many $$$$ in union dues find themselves abandoned) and disgruntled retirees can have no impact on the operation.

But the handwriting is on the wall for all of us active employees at USAirways, and pretty much at any corporation in the United States:

Expect NOTHING from the company to which you've been loyal for decades when you retire. And then you cannot be disappointed.

 

[hula-flyguy]

Expect NOTHING from the company to which you've been loyal for decades when you retire. And then you cannot be disappointed.
[/quote]



Sad but true. As for the union dues, once you stop paying, they lose interest

 

[Seatacus]

As for the union dues, once you stop paying, they lose interest

Do they ever have any interest in the employee? It's union first then employee second. And retirees, who are they?

 

[Snafu]

Do they ever have any interest in the employee? It's union first then employee second. And retirees, who are they?

And the unions ONLY want the employees for the dues money. :angry: :down: :angry:

 

[US1YFARE]

In these cases of differing policies (which are numerous) we ask ourselves, “what is most fair?â€￾ or alternatively, “if we were starting a new airline, how would we handle this?â€￾ In this case we decided the most fair policy is to have a separate boarding policy for retirees.

Oh, so the naysayers are right....this was merely an organized liquidation and there is nothing left of the old US (except some remaining good employees). Now all of the "changes" you are making make sense--this really is the NEW US--you are starting from scratch and bankruptcy was the way to do that.