Something else we lost in our last contract that we need to get back is being able to maximize time off with vacation. Under our previous contract, any trip that touched vacation could be dropped without affecting pay. I understand this is the way the XJT contract still is. Under our current contract, if you choose to drop the portion of trips that fall outside of your vacation, you can see your pay reduced significantly below min guarantee. More than a few pilots here learned this the hard way when they got a fraction of their normal paycheck after bidding their vacation month without this knowledge.

On another note, the Ready Reserve rules need to be tightened up and brought more in line with XJT's. Line holders complain about a three hour sit of "airport appreciation"... Try an eight hour sit up to six times a month seemingly assigned at the whim of Crew Scheduling!