So, we've known that CAL recalled 15 pilots for a week or two now: Article
It is anticipated and rumored that ALL of the furloughed CAL pilots will be recalled in the next couple months. What does this mean for us? Well, we will have a decision to make. Take the recall or not take it.
Here's kind of how it breaks down:
CAL
Pros-
1. If he goes back, he'll almost immediately be at second year pay, which is about double first year CAL pay (and like 3 times current airline pay), and that alone will probably be worth taking the recall.
2. Better working conditions at CAL.
3. Better planes!
4. We might go ahead and try to have a baby finally.
Cons-
1. Zero guarantee that he keeps his job. We fully anticipate that once the merger with UAL happens, it's possible or even probable that he may get furloughed again. If that happens, we have no idea what he'll do and could be back in awful furlough limbo again, with not much hope of ever going back to CAL/UAL, assuming he's bumped by UAL guys.
2. If he leaves current airline, he's probably burned that bridge forever and will not be able to come back. That's pretty much how it works in the airline industry.
3. He might get based in Guam. It's the junior base and right now that's what they are offering to recalled CAL guys. haha! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah....
So, I'm not sure what I think. I know his current airline is not where he ultimately wants to be, but he actually does have one thing there- relative job stability. Well, more than he'd have at CAL anyway. Stability in aviation is a relative term, right? The problem with his current gig is the pay is SO LOW. I don't know if we can ever start a family on what he's making right now, and the pay scale sucks. It would take forever for him to make much more there.
I just think CAL is a big gamble and he stands to lose everything AGAIN if he takes the recall. We'd really just have to bank as much of his income as possible if he went back and was making good money again, knowing he might lose his job again.
His other strategy is to try to get hired at another airline all together. He's still working on that, and if he got hired at another good, relatively stable airline, that could solve all our problems. Maybe (yeah, like it's that easy...lol).
So that's what's going on with that. He still probably won't get recalled for a couple months, but we're already thinking about everything and playing out scenarios. We'll see what happens...
