SEATTLE— Alaska Airlines (AS) has agreed to a proposed $500,000 settlement involving 163 current and former pilots who did not accrue vacation during qualifying military leave.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle (SEA) and concerns military leave taken between October 10, 2004, and March 31, 2026.
The settlement covers pilots who took military leave lasting between 31 and 60 consecutive days and allegedly missed vacation accrual during those periods.
Alaska Airlines denies violating federal law or admitting wrongdoing, but agreed to settle the remaining claim to avoid the costs and uncertainty of continued litigation.
Settlement Covers 163 Alaska Airlines Pilots
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by former Alaska Airlines pilot Leo Synoracki in 2018 under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
The law provides protections for employees who leave civilian employment for qualifying military service, including rules concerning certain non-seniority benefits.
The case initially involved broader claims concerning vacation and sick-time accrual during military leave. However, court proceedings gradually narrowed the issues, with the remaining dispute focused on vacation accrual for military leaves lasting 31 to 60 days.
A March 2026 court order dismissed the claims involving longer 61-to-90-day military leaves and the sick-time accrual issue, leaving the vacation claim for the shorter period.
Vacation Accrual Dispute Drives Legal Case
The lawsuit centered on whether Alaska pilots on qualifying military leave should have received vacation accrual comparable to employees taking other forms of leave.
The Ninth Circuit previously directed the district court to examine the length of military leave when determining whether it was comparable to other leave under USERRA.
Under the settlement, payments will be distributed on a pro-rata basis rather than equally among the 163 pilots.
Alaska Airlines records show 666 qualifying months in which vacation did not accrue, so a pilot’s share will depend on the number of eligible non-accrual months associated with that pilot.
The proposed $500,000 fund will also cover approved legal fees, expenses, administration costs, taxes, and a potential service award. The settlement agreement allows up to $247,500 for attorneys’ fees and expenses and up to $5,000 for the class representative.
Final Court Approval Set For December 2026
The settlement received preliminary approval on August 17, 2026, but it has not yet received final court approval.
The final approval hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2026, before Judge Robert S. Lasnik in the Western District of Washington.
Eligible pilots do not need to submit a claim form because payments will be calculated automatically from Alaska Airlines’ employment records.
The deadline for class members who want to opt out or object to the settlement is October 31, 2026, Simple Flying reported.
The case, Synoracki v. Alaska Airlines, Inc., therefore remains pending until the court considers final approval.
If approved and after the relevant appeal period is resolved, the settlement administrator will distribute payments to eligible class members according to the agreed allocation formula.
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