Originally Posted by
RT1Spitfire
I have a different “problem”... I’m an Airbus F/O looking to make max CH ($$) in March with 7 days of vacation. I’m not senior enough to hold week long pairings (to cover with my vacation footprint),
You may have this and I'm just reading too much into your post but I'll clarify anyway:
You don't need to "cover" a week long pairing in order to knock that trip out with vacation - the vacation footprint just needs to touch it. There's also sliding and expanding (for lineholders) vacation which gives you added flexibility to knock out more trips. I'm not smart on the vacation expansion option for lineholders - maybe someone who is can offer you some advice.
Originally Posted by
RT1Spitfire
.. so I’m thinking I should bid a secondary line and request 42 CH to be applied toward BLG and add OT trips to plus up my remaining BLG and fly a normal months worth of trips. But I’m concerned that scheduling won’t give me all 42 CH since it’s only a request. Thoughts / ideas?
Just so you're clear on the above, if you do nothing other than bid a secondary line with your vacation, this is exactly what will happen. You have a 7-day vacation in March worth 42 CH. That's not subject to a request. If you bid a secondary, they HAVE to pay you for those hours. The planners will start with the 42 vacation CH already in your line and add trips from that point until your monthly CHs are within the min/max secondary range for BLG while avoiding your vacation footprint. It's about as basic as our vacation gets. You get paid for each vacation day, no more-no less, get the balance of that month's BLG in trips and get 7 specific extra days off that month.
The "request" to which you refer regarding vacation hours is to
increase or decrease the amount of vacation CHs applied to one's secondary. You can request up to 5 more vacation days (12 max in a 4-week month) for a total of 72 CH from vacation in your secondary. That just means more pay from vacation, less from trips in your secondary and more days off that month.
Maybe you can clarify what you mean by "making max CH ($$) in March with 7 days of vacation". Do you mean having as much March pay come from your vacation bank as possible? or The biggest paycheck possible for March specifically with no concern for any days off, vacation or otherwise?