The fact is that you get a line awarded with the vacation added in, ie. a say, a 81hr. line at the initial bid run, then take away the 21 hr. vacation, and now you can pick up 21 more hours.

If that is not selling back 100% of your vacation, I don't know what is.

No, you cannot pick up time on your vacation days, but the rest of the month you can pick up to ALV+15+ the 21 hours of vacation. ie. you just sold it all back. This, along with no limit on the amount of time you can pick up by swapping with the pot, and trip parking, is what is killing your upward movement. At least we slowed down the trip parking, but I'm sure there's a work-a-round in the works.

The MEC says the 'average line flyer' flys about what, 87 hours now?

OK, let's say we were to go back to a hard 75 hr. cap. and include vacation in that, no sell back. That's 12 hrs. less per month for the entire line holding pilot group, or 16% less flying, which would mean the co. would need to upgrade 16% more pilots (1,600 of 10,000) to do the same amount of flying.

OR...we could just keep doing what we are doing and you can stay in your right seat until some old fart retires...and maybe they replace him, or not, just like they are not replacing all those A330 and 747 Capts. who just left early.

Dammit! I told you not to get me started!!