The lawsuit alleges that Defendant Alaska Airlines, Inc. (“Alaska”) violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”) by not allowing pilots to accrue vacation time while on military leaves of absence, while allowing pilots to accrue vacation during other, allegedly comparable forms of leave.
The Court has determined that this lawsuit may proceed as a class action on behalf of all current and former Alaska pilots who took military leave lasting between 31 and 60 consecutive days at any time from October 10, 2004, through March 31, 2026, and who did not accrue vacation during those military leaves.
The parties have agreed to settle the case. Under the proposed Settlement, Alaska has agreed to pay $500,000.00 into a Settlement Fund.
The Court has preliminarily approved the Settlement. The Settlement will not become final unless and until the Court issues final approval after a hearing, which is currently scheduled for December 10, 2026.
A Summary of Your Legal Rights and Options | |
Do Nothing | If you do nothing, you will receive the payment that you are entitled to receive under the Settlement. You have been identified as a Class Member from Alaska’s records, and your payment will be calculated from those records under the Court-approved Plan of Allocation. An individualized statement of the number of months in which you did not accrue vacation because of qualifying military leave, and an estimate of your Settlement award, is included with the Notice. You do not need to submit a claim form. |
Exclude Yourself | If you do not wish to remain in the Class, you may request exclusion by following the directions in FAQ 15. Your request must be postmarked on or before October 31, 2026. If you exclude yourself, you will receive no payment from the Settlement, you will not release any claims, and you may not object to the Settlement. |
Object | If you wish to object to the Settlement, to the request for attorneys’ fees and expenses, or to the requested service award, you must follow the directions in FAQ 14 and submit your objection so that it is postmarked on or before October 31, 2026. You may not both exclude yourself from the Settlement and object, because if you exclude yourself the Settlement will not affect you. |
Upcoming Important Dates
Notification Mailing
9/16/2026
Response Deadline
10/31/2026
Final Approval Hearing
12/10/2026 at 11:00 a.m.