Being laid off in 'Seniority' Order
Having heard a little about this sort of thing, the rules have changed recently due to 'age discrimination', which has made it harder to get rid of people in seniority order.
In general terms;
The bigger the number - the younger you are
The smaller the number - the older you are
You most certainly have to get your better half to go and speak to Balpa because if she is in a company operating with seniority, then most likely it will be working with Balpa, and she will be paying them.
Previously a company making redundancies would be likely to help out the people it is laying off by making sure they are in check, however, times are hard and money is short!
Be aware that there must be a redundancy package, and this currency check could be something that is negotiable.
Do you mind me asking who the airline is?