Can This Be True?

[Royal Ambassador]

My best friend from college days is a Delta f/a of 27 years? He told me that Delta is telling f/a's to retire by mid November or lose all health benefits for a future retirement. To top it off, if you do take this early retirement your health benefits are not "guaranteed", that they could be revoked at any time.

Is he pulling my leg?

 

[WorldTraveler]

I think Delta told its people that it would not pay for retiree health care after 2005. Not sure if that is the exact gist of it but benefits are being reduced. Don't quite think it is by this Nov though.

 

[aislehopper]

Delta is eliminating subsidy for retiree and survivor health care coverage at age 65 and after for those retiring after January 1, 2006.

 

[mwa]

And to the pilots who think that the agreement (w/ALPA) to not attach their pensions in BK - if you believe this I have some land I want to sell in FL. Nothing is immune in BK to the judge. esp. an agreement perceived as made in duress.

 

[7.5victim]

Didn't UAL do the same thing in early '03 to get some senior FA's to retire? After they filed Ch11, they reneged on the agreement, and it was upheld in court.

Health care costs are spiraling. DL was self-insured for years. I remember hearing back in the 7.5 days, that the company spent over $1 million per day on health care. I can only imagine what today's costs are, partly in thanks to trial lawyers like John Edwards. They've made it more attractive than ever to dump these retirees into Medicare at 65. Let the taxpayers pay for it! What a great idea.