ptarmigan...

I agree that your plan offers more flexibility. If you don't have the bid pattern the corresponds to your vacation award, you won't be able to "max" it out. For the most part, being at the bottom of the list, you can conflict a full week every time (if you really don't care what you fly or sit reserve). If we could slide the days either way (how far can you slide them at federal?), it would give everyone more flexibility in bidding.

The name of the game for vacations here is conflict bidding. That is the reason we only have 3 hrs/day on days off. The more you conflict, the more ups will have to hire. I prefer more time off for the most part, but if they offer me 62 hours for a week of vacation, I would have to seriously consider it then. At 3 hrs/day, I want to drop a trip instead.

Basic difference in vacation...we have days that don't depend on trip credit, you have hours of vacation credit. Both ways work, there is just a different way to game the system to maximize time away from work.

JMO

Pilot7576