In C1996, Conflicting trips were paid from your vacation bank. In other words, you were robbing from future vacation pay if your conflicted trips had a higher value than the week of vacation. C1996 did in fact have 6 weeks after 25 years of service, with a total bank value of 147:00, or 3:30 per day.

Going back to C1990, there was a 7th week after 30 years of service, but conflicting trips were paid for the primary vacation only. Otherwise, the daily rate was 2:30 for a line holder, and 2:15-2:25 for a reserve depending on the number of days in a month.

For reference, C2019 will have a bank value of 160:25 for anyone with 16 years of service, which is a high water mark for total vacation value at Delta.

Beware of revisionist history lessons.

It’s a valid debate as to more weeks versus higher daily credit.

One man’s opinion, but vacation daily value is far more powerful than additional vacation days, assuming the total value is equal.

Higher daily value applies to everyone, and an added side effect is it allows maximum schedule flexibility in months with vacation.

For example: 2 weeks of vacation worth 2:15 per day only leaves a 2 week window to fly the remaining credit for the month. 1 week of vacation worth 4:30 per day provides the same amount of time off as the previous scenario, but allows a 3 week window to bid the remaining flying. Either scenario ends up with exactly the same amount of flying and days off in the bid month.