Continental rejects flight benefit for gay partner of retired employee

KTRK ^

[esryle]

7/04/04 - HOUSTON) — A retired Continental Airlines flight attendant is challenging the airline's refusal to allow his same-sex partner to use his spousal travel passes.

David Lee married David Vaillancourt on April 1 in Canada, which began recognizing gay nuptials in 2003.

That didn't matter to the Houston-based airline when Lee asked that Vaillancourt be allowed to use his spousal travel passes he received after taking early retirement in 1989.

"I am sorry to have to decline your request," wrote John Mitchell, a human resources official at Continental. "The provisions of the Early Out that you signed specifically do not include same-sex travel companions."

The flight privilege includes six travel passes that allow the former employee and a spouse to travel together. The carrier said it takes its definition of "spouse" from the Internal Revenue Service.

However, the carrier allows current workers to name a same-sex partner on such passes. The rule, shared by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, applies only to retirees.

Two other major airlines polled by the Houston Chronicle, American Airlines and United Airlines, offer travel benefits to same-sex partners of retirees.

Lee and Vaillancourt said they want equal footing with other couples, with travel benefits being only the first step.

"We are not going away. Gay marriage is not going away. None of this is going away," said Lee, who lives in the Los Angeles area. "We are going to fight this to the end."

Company spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said that because the IRS doesn't recognize homosexual marriages, the benefit would be treated as taxable if the traveling companion was anyone besides a legal spouse or dependent.

"The bottom line is retirees have never had the option of putting someone on their travel benefits if that person was not a spouse recognized by the U.S. government," Johnson said.

[esryle]

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[nothingnew]

Johnson says "no co-fly to fly boys.

FMCDH(BITS)

[thoughtomator]

"We are not going away. Gay marriage is not going away. None of this is going away," said Lee, who lives in the Los Angeles area. "We are going to fight this to the end."

Repent! The End is Near!

[FormerLib]

However, the carrier allows current workers to name a same-sex partner on such passes.

Gee, and here I was thinking that I'd have to fly Continental more but then it turns out they've already caved. So much for that.

[BJungNan]

Real easy solution to this one. The airlines simply stop offering all employees the free spouse travel benefit.

[little jeremiah]

Homosexual Agenda Ping - just crawled in the door, must ping, must ping...

Good one for Continental. The homo-ex-pilot is going to fight until the end. Fine, and then he can lose.

Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.

[KingNo155]

And people wonder why I drive, bike, canoe or walk to anywhere I need to go. Its so I and the freaks don't have to share the same space.

[SpyGuy]

Real easy solution to this one. The airlines simply stop offering all employees the free spouse travel benefit.

So you're willing to allow a few loud-mouthed deviants wreck the system for the remaining 97% of the population?

[GSWarrior]

Or they could let same-sex partners use the passes. It a travel benefit, for goodness sake.

[BJungNan]

So you're willing to allow a few loud-mouthed deviants wreck the system for the remaining 97% of the population?

What is the alternative, try and make your business the savior of the cause - in this case marriage? My business is to make money. Not to mess around with social issues. At the point that some benefit I provide to get more work out of people starts to take more time than the benefit is deriving in increased productivity, I take it away and offer something else.

Yes, that is exactly the way I would handle it and the way I have handled situations like it in the past. When one group demands something unrealistic or that I am not willing to provide, then I take it away from everyone. It is not my fight. Let those that have lost the benefit sorted it out themselves.

It happens all the time in business. It usually starts with trying to be nice in a particular and unique situation then someone else says, "What about me?" even though the situation in no way fits their circumstances. Again, the only possible course short of subjecting yourself to litigation or time wasting nonsense is to take it away from everyone.