Non-rev Travel Letter Info

[2BorNot2B]

I just read a post on the ALPA BB from one of our retired Pilots. He stated that he had just received a letter from USAirways that advised him that he and his family would have to pay $40 each, each time they traveled using his term pass, and they would have the lowest boarding priority.
The posting lacked specifics .... is there anyone out there with more infomation about this?

Ed

 

[CynicalResAgent]

I got my letter today and what you posted is true. There were other travel related issues addressed in the letter as well. As far as retirees go the following will apply.

Retirees with less than 25 years of service will pay a service charge instead of a yearly term pass charge.
- $20.00 each way for coach domestic
- $40.00 each way for international travel.

 

[2BorNot2B]

...... so those that chose early retirement due to job elimination or displacement get a double whammy!

Shame on USAirways!! To think a "Retirement Fund" is doing this to Retirees!!

Thanks for the reply!

 

[ACrazy8]

Can anyone copy the letter on to the forum???.......

 

[Old PSA]

Excerpts from the letter:

.....

"We have made a few changes in the program for 2004. For those retirees with less than twenty-five years of service, we are changing from an optional term pass/service charge system to a service charge system. We have also simplified the domestic upgrade charge program, requiring a $20 fee regardless of the length of travel."

.....

"For retirees with less than 25 years of service, and for the dependents of other retirees, we will offer a Service Charge program only, thereby eliminating the Term Pass charge. Basically, this change means that you will only pay for travel when you travel. This change will provide better coverage of US Airways costs for the employee travel program."

"The Service Charge program will require a payment of $20 for one-way coach domestic travel and $40 for one-way coach international travel, plys applicable taxes. Retirees with less than 25 years of service, and the dependents of other retirees, will be responsible for these charges."

"As they are today, all pass travelers will to be required to pay upgrade charges for travel in first or business class.
-The domestic first class upgrade charge will be $20 per segment to all domestic destinations regardless of the number of miles, including Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Central America.
-The upgrade charge to and from Eurpoe will remain at $100 one-way."

This was issued under John Hedblom, Vice President Human Resources Policy and Development signature. Whoever actually wrote seems to use the dart-board method of inserting commas. Sentence construction needs work too.

 

[dashflyer]

Is there any truth that a letter is being sent out by Crystal City that non-rev travel will cost current employees $20 per leg?

We had a mainline f/a on our flight and she was saying that a letter has been sent out telling employees, starting in Jan the company will begin charging $20 per leg for travel.

Please tell me this isn't true!!!!!

 

[F/AinDay]

Dashflyer... I think that only pertains to the retirees with less than 25 years service. Check out the posting under Retiree Term Pass.

 

[robbedagain]

as I read the letter, i think it stated that the upgrades for the entire country, including carribbean, canada and mexico and bermuda were 20.00 but international stays at 100. may be i am wrong but that is what I thought the letter
said

 

[skyflyr69]

Is there any truth that a letter is being sent out by Crystal City that non-rev travel will cost current employees $20 per leg?

We had a mainline f/a on our flight and she was saying that a letter has been sent out telling employees, starting in Jan the company will begin charging $20 per leg for travel.

Please tell me this isn't true!!!!!

wouldn't it be faster to ask Usairways than post here at a public sight? Proper decorum would be to keep it in house than vent on public sights.
But then again, it seems you U types vent more than any other airline group on this board. Seems unnatural. :blink:

 

[Light Years]

skyfly

Then get off our board. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[airlineorphan]

skyflyr69 wrote:

But then again, it seems you U types vent more than any other airline group on this board. Seems unnatural.

Perfectly natural when you are in the eye of the storm. Our entire industry is in the midst of viscious restructuring. The vulnerability of the network carriers that years of spectacular and inspired mismanagement has wrought is in the process of being resolved over the backs of airline workers.

Us folks at US Airways are at the epicenter of this restructuring and so it is perfectly natural for us to have a few things to raise cain over. If you work at another airline (whether at a network carrier or one of the so-called LCC's) management will eventually be coming after you as well (if they aren't already). Gotta keep up with the Davids, ya know.

In other words, if you work at another airline, you DO have a dog in this fight.

Good luck to all of us.

In solidarity,
Airlineorphan

P.S. Back to the topic at hand, it would be good if someone who has the letter in question could post it or at least the relevant excerpts. Robbedagain, can you help us out on this? Thanks! (great name, by the way!)

 

[A320Pax]

I wish the title of this topic were "Employee Travel Service Charge Changes" because it would garner more attention. Because, really, it does not just affect current retirees but would-be retirees. It affects ALL employees who are retired, are about to retire, and one day hope to retire from US Airways (if it's still flying) if you really think about it.

When I retire, I can live with the lower boarding priority. Let the active employees get on so that they can make it back to work on time. I can always wait for the next flight... I'll be retired and hopefully I won't be starting another career when I'm retired to supplement my (insert dripping sarcasm here) huge pension, Social Security, 401(k) and other savings, right? And hopefully I will have had my years of an active employee with a higher boarding priority to make my lower boarding priority as a retiree a wash. Never mind that I helped build this company so that the younger employees now getting on before me can enjoy the travel benefits... I'm a retiree and have all the time in the world to sit around a gate, right? I can live with that justification.

But the service charges - whether they're per-trip or an annual charge - have got to go. You tell me that if I make it to retirement age at US Airways (that is, if the company is still standing, and if the company does not find some way to mysteriously let me go when I'm 54, as has happened to so many), more of my fixed income after-tax is going to go toward paying for my diminished travel privilege?

Space-available travel is the main benefit for airline employees and is considered a part of our total compensation package, and is often cited by the company as what has defrayed the effect of our paycuts. I don't care if our Employee Travel Program is better than many others in the industry. Better can always be made best. After the paycut, the salary deferral, no hope for any cost-of-living nor merit increases any time in the near future, nor profit-sharing payouts... I have to look forward to one day when I'm retired to paying more for less of a benefit that I was planning to use more of one day?

I hear all the arguments: "At least you have a job." "At least you're getting a paycheck, albeit it smaller, that is all this company owes you for the job you're doing. Besides, you were making a competitive or industry-leading wage for several years before." "Yeah, sure, you're paying more for reduced medical benefits; but, hey, your premiums are not so bad; and at least you GOT health insurance."

But the one thing I used to always tell myself was, because I value it, otherwise I would've worked in another industry: "Hey, at least I get to fly for 'free.' " (Even though it's only when a seat is available.) Yeah, sure, the Employee Travel Program has its costs; but, remember, it is viewed as part of our compensation. What is the greater cost of reduced employee morale and incentivization, I ask you? In the wide swath of their cuts, couldn't they just left this one thing alone?! I viewed the retiree travel program as a form of deferred compensation for me. What do I have to look forward to now? Whatever happened to the one thing that makes us all airline employees, the one thing that unites us, the one thing that transcends our race, our color, our creed? WE ALL GOT JET FUEL FOR BLOOD. Even if you're not a frequent non-revver, you got the option to get thee to the airport and just GO.

My wish is that all active employees get mad about these charges, even if you got 30 years left until you retire. This is just another paycut in disguise: you're not feeling the direct effect now, but you will one day. I once read somewhere, in an article about nursing homes and home health care, that the way a society treats its elderly reflects how truly civlized the society is. Well, how a company treats its retirees reflects how civilized a company is. Someone who has spent 25 years of his or her life building a company with the promise of a benefit shouldn't be nickle-and-dimed with per-trip (or annual) service charges.

To all the US Airways retirees out there: I appreciate the company you built for me and the rest of your little brothers and sisters. Too bad you have to keep working for it in the form of these poorly-justified service charges.

 

[PITbull]

Wonder what SENIOR management priority status is to fly after they retire?

They conviently fly "space positive" first class and their family members, AND MOST OF THEM ONLY HAVE 18 MONTHS SERVICE HERE AT U. Great little perk for these "do nothing" employees who make the rules for rank, while making "king" rules for themselves.

This is another "slap" to the retirees and potential retirees. Validation that management could care less about older employees for their dedication and loyalty through their longevity and contributions to the airline after all their years of service.

Message to management: (Just cause I love ya)

Keep on looking to terminate employees through the discipline process who are sick, inujred or have chronic illnesses, denying them FMLA protection, medical leave of absences. Funny, most JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE 40 YEARS OLD AND UP. Coupled with this new "####"term pass policy for retirees, one COULD MAKE an assumption and A GREAT CASE FOR EEOC AND ADA and that management could care less about older employees.

You think I'm not thinking about piecing this puzzle together and doing nothing???????

 

[dashflyer]

I commute and have not received the letter yet. If this had turned out to be true, all of us that commute to and from work would be very in debt.

Thanks for everyone that answered!!!

 

[Hope777]

AS the Letter States, Current Employees and Family Memeber as well as retirees with 25 years or more service will continue to recieve Fee Waived Travel. Retirees with Less then 25 years of service will pay $20.00 each way PLUS TAXES for Domestic Travel. The $20.00 PER SEGMENT FEE is for Upgrade Travel to First Class. So if you want to go CLT-MYR its $20.00 or if you want to go PHL-AUA it's still only $20.00. Enovy Upgrade will still be $100.00 each way.