APC225

You might be right about that. Here is the latest guidance at the prefbid.com site.

Reserve bidding is similar to line bidding but there are some differences, and there are differences between Basic and Global reserve awards. However, reserve bidding can be very simple depending on a bidders needs. For example, the following bid group will award the maximum number of weekend days off that a bidder can hold, and this bid will work for both basic and global bidders.

1 AWARD RSV Mon 0000 - Fri 2359 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]

This one line bid group will award as many reserve days during the week as possible. The more reserve days awarded during the week, the higher the bidders satisfaction. This bid group WILL NOT FAIL, provided that the bidder is not constrained into a line award.

There are some months where it is impossible to hold every weekend day off due to the pattern restrictions in the UPA. The above bid group will still award as many weekend days off as possible.

In the event a bidder would like weekends off in a bid group that will fail if the requested days cannot be awarded, a more complex bid group is required.

1 MUST AWARD OFF 05Nov 00:00 - 06Nov 23:59
2 MUST AWARD OFF 12Nov 00:00 - 13Nov 23:59
3 MUST AWARD OFF 19Nov 00:00 - 20Nov 23:59
4 MUST AWARD OFF 26Nov 00:00 - 27Nov 23:59
5 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]

This bid group format is slightly different in that it uses must award off statements. In this form, this bid group WILL fail if all four requested weekends are not awarded off. But, this format allows a bidder to easily choose which weekends are most important. One way to accomplish this is to create a group similar to the following group.

1 MUST AWARD OFF 05Nov 00:00 - 06Nov 23:59
2 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L--]
3 MUST AWARD OFF 12Nov 00:00 - 13Nov 23:59
4 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L-]
5 MUST AWARD OFF 19Nov 00:00 - 20Nov 23:59
6 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L]
7 MUST AWARD OFF 26Nov 00:00 - 27Nov 23:59
8 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]

This group will ONLY fail if the bidder cannot get Weekend 1 off in its entirety. It will be awarded if the bidder can be awarded Weekend 1 off in its entirety, but could award no other weekends off. The downside to a group like this is that partial weekends off may be available, but this group in no way preferences that. To fix this problem, a different type of bid group is required. In the following example, Weekend 1 must be awarded off for the group to succeed, but then the preference is for as many other weekend days off as possible, not necessarily full weekends.

1 MUST AWARD OFF 05Nov 00:00 - 06Nov 23:59
2 AWARD RSV Mon 0000 - Fri 2359 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]

Finally, an example of a reserve bid that preferences, in order, full weekends off, Saturdays off, and then Sundays off. This bid will not fail if the bidder is able to hold a reserve award.

1 AWARD RSV Sat 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L--]
2 AWARD RSV Sun 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L-]
3 AWARD RSV Mon 0000 - Fri 2359 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [L]

In some bid months, there are five weekend periods. In some cases, it is possible to receive all weekend days off but only with the use of a waive, and only if a bidder is working the final day of the previous bid period. By waiving to allow a Single Day first Period, provided that the first day of the bid period is a Sunday, a bidder can receive all weekend days off. The following group will fail if a bidder cannot hold all weekend days off. This group is identical to a previous example with the addition of a waive and a "Must Award Off" statement for the single weekend day at the beginning of the bid period, lines 1 and 6.

1 WAIVE Allow single day off 1st group
2 MUST AWARD OFF 05Nov 00:00 - 06Nov 23:59
3 MUST AWARD OFF 12Nov 00:00 - 13Nov 23:59
4 MUST AWARD OFF 19Nov 00:00 - 20Nov 23:59
5 MUST AWARD OFF 26Nov 00:00 - 27Nov 23:59
6 MUST AWARD OFF 30Oct 00:00 - 30Oct 23:59
5 AWARD RSV 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]

You could also accomplish this in a no-fail bid group by adding the waive statement to our very first example.

1 WAIVE Allow single day off 1st group
2 AWARD RSV Mon 0000 - Fri 2359 30Oct 00:00 - 29Nov 23:59 [H++]