I agree with all this for the most part except that this year is different. Available vacation slots for 2023 were determined based on staffing in September 2022. Only enough slots for those pilots on property then are allocated. You can buy the accrued time but the odds of a week opening up in 2023 with the aggressive hiring we are doing are slim to none.
Originally Posted by
AgressivPressur
Thus the comment, “March is gonna be tough”
not recommending a course of action (other than new hires should 100% buy the week to use or not use as they see fit), but to the comment saying it’s impossible to get vacation in the first year— that isn’t necessarily the case with Mesa.
for the last post, buying means you pay exactly what the benefit is taking out over time from your pay, now you have a week avail. End of each calendar year there is a vacation bud for calendar weeks (weeks 1 through 52). If you are a new hire in day January, you will miss the normal bid, but can request any week for your position, equipment, location that might be available for current year. With movement and attrition, weeks will open up, just maybe not spring break weeks and Christmas weeks, etc. if premium is offered over the summer pretty easy to make that week work for you as a first year FO (pay 1x the benefit over time, earn > 1x the benefit)
agree OP should wait if this is the most important thing for him/her.