No More Buddy Passes After 10/1?

[Chicago]

I heard this from a fellow FA today, but brushed it off because I assumed it was just another petty rumor. But from other web sites, it seems that this bit of news is true: UAL WILL NO LONGER HONOR COMPANION PASSES AFTER OCT. 1. Why? ..They claim it's because of "abuse."

Personally, I believe those at WHQ (and whoever else made this "wise" decision, is full of s#@%) . Also, the other major carriers like AA, CO, DL, NW, are offering severances packages and other things to soften the blow of being furloughed. Has our wonderful UAL made any such announcement yet? Nope, not yet. At least I haven't heard.

Why does this company wait to see what everyone else is doing before they act? It's as if they go into hiding and peek through the door cracks before they clear their throats to say something (as evidenced by the day of the tragedy in which it took Goodwin and Sara Fields a good half-day before they put out a statement regarding the hijackings.--Long after AA offered their's.)

I personally don't see how this company has survived the past two yrs with such incompetent a-holes at the top. And now, they 're really not even *trying* see their noses in front of their faces.

Good luck fellow UA FA's. Though I'll go back on reserve in Oct., I'm right on the cusp of being furloughed in November. I'm at a senoirity where it can go either way. Oh well. Nothing much can be done but vent, I guess. I now feel free to tell the world what kind of knuckleheads our once-proud UA employees are working under.

No matter what happens, I still think Goodwin, Dutta, Studdert, Hobgood, and the rest of the dumb-bunch should non-rev & take a wonderful 7-day vacation to Afghanistan.


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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana ">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Chicago:


No matter what happens, I still think Goodwin, Dutta, Studdert, Hobgood, and the rest of the dumb-bunch should non-rev & take a wonderful 7-day vacation to Afghanistan.


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I agree on that one. I think that Goodwin and his team have not been doing the best job that they can in a situation like this. Right now, they are trying to save an airline which is all nice and good, but I think that Uncle Leo at Delta is doing a good job, and should be viewed upon as a role model in addition to Gordon at CO.

Havnt all of the other airline CEO's at major carriers in the US stoped their saleries for the rest of the year? Its not a big difference in the overall survival of the company, but it is a nice gesture to the employees.

In regards to the buddy passes, you are correct ORD. They are gone affective tomorrow morning at 12am. I can understand how they were abused. I've seen it. Also, most of the problems that I've viewed with non-revs have been when a companion pass is used. Everytime that I have brought someone along with me on one of those, I have made them dress up, and be a very good non-rev. I even make them wear ties.


I still love United, and I really hope that things will work out. Out of tragedy comes hope...and what happened on the 11th gives United the chance to start over, and become an airline favored with passengers. Lets hope for the best.

[Chicago]

Yeah, and now that I and many of my fellow flying partner buddies @ UA (those of us with less than '97 seniority) have officially gotten the furlough boot via Western Union over the weekend, the buddy pass "embargo" is certainly NOT at the top of my boo-hoo list.

Amongst the confusion are several things I've been pondering:

1) How long will the involuntary furloughs *really* last? (ie., I don't for minute believe it'll only last for "3 months" as certain AFA reps have been implying recently). Probably more like a year or two.

2) Upon recall, the liklihood of some of us being recalled to other bases--"surplused".

and finally,

3) Will UA continue to actually survive at all within the next 2-3 yrs?

[GalleyWench]

Chicago, The company mailed the 'furloughgrams' to those that MAY be affected by involunary furlough if no one takes voluntary furlough. Please remember that 3000 of our colleagues volunteered for 30 day ANP in October,reducing the involuntary ANP to 99 seniority I beleive.Surely many moms and students will take the voluntary furlough over the Christmas holidays- I cannot imagine less than 500 would. As for legnth of furloughs, I had a roomate that, after pilot strike was not recalled for 12 months. She was the absolute bottom of the seniority barrel pre-strike. There were also furloughs in the late 70s , from what the senior babes tell me. So, the airline industry goes in cycles. While if you are about to be furloughed please make interim job plans, do not write the job off just yet. Remember that 2000 of us get an extra week of vacation next year(91 seniority) and I estimate at least 500 from 96 seniority also get another week of vacation. That will help create a need for more flight attendants next year as well. Keep the faith and check out the union website too!!