Here's another side of this situation to think about:
The pilots who get furloughed from AA have a ten year right of recall. (At least that's what one of the ex-TWA/AA guys told me last week when we were flying together).
This guy told me that he had applied to Polar, along with another colleague who was 17 numbers senior to him at AA.
He heard from an inside source that the reason they both didn't get hired was their AA seniority number.
That is also the reason they will never upgrade here at the company we work at now.
Why should a company put out good money in training costs for someone who will leave when they are recalled?
Both of these pilots are good guys, and excellent pilots, but it seems my company would rather invest in some of the younger guys who have been here longer, and will stay longer.
When UAL furloughs in Nov (and they will), along with the USAir pilots all ready out there (we have 2 of those guys here also) the streets are going to get more crowded.
As 411 says, no matter how bad your flying job is at the moment, it is a flying job. Do whatever you can to keep it, because there are lots of companies out there who are simply not hiring right now.
The days of thinking you can go fly night freight or commuters until your recall are over.
Even the old stand-by...C-402's to the islands are full up at this time.