I don't want to dictate that a pilot cannot do what he/she needs to do IAW the contract, but this issue does have another side that has not been brought up.

In general the company always wants us to fly more per pilot, so much so that they started the LPV plus up program on their own. This practice meant that if you picked up a trip in this situation, the LPV was "plussed up" to the MPG value and then the time picked up would go on top of that. Then, when ALPA wanted to actually codify the practice in the contract, they couldn't reach an agreement. So, the none contractual practice had to stop. If we are continuously picking up extra flying without the LPV plus up, why would the company ever agree to that? They would give up all that extra flying we are doing for free??

So, remember when bidding and picking up in a vacation month that there is also a long term view. If we ever want to have the contract reflect the practice of a pickup in this situation adding on to your MPG value (LPV plus up as it was called) then picking up trips today that have some portion of "working for free" is not helping our long term cause.