Actually, if we didn't pick up ANY time, that would send the message loud and clear.

If Isom wanted to go after the no float message, I believe he could. I actually don't think the company cares. You remember the summer of love around here? Did you actually read the injunction against USAPA? If not, you should.

It is next to impossible for the union to tell us things in the clear. Pilots have to be willing to do it on their own.

Are we unhappy with our contract? I doubt the company sees that if there is a list for premium a mile long. How unhappy can we be if we are signing up for more, often at times of a bad operation?

No, you will just be squeezing your work into the other days. It's what is important to you. I guess it could constrain PBS in how it builds your block and how much time it squeezes into it.

So on reserve it will just squeeze your reserve days into the month around your vacation and VEX days?

VEX days are just regular OFF days that immediately precede or follow your vacation.

That's the way I understand it. You "owe" the company so many days when you have X vacation days. There was a chart out somewhere that showed how many days you had on call and how much you were paid for each week of vacation under PBS. Maybe on the APA scheduling page?

That's how you get paid more than guaranteed with vacation while on reserve. Your pro rate and vacation days add up to more days than usual.

Haven't been on reserve for a while, might try it this year during Sept to see if I can get most of the month off for 83 or so hours.

VEX days are just OFF days that you control. 4 OFF days that you can put anywhere, in any amount, on either side of vacation (or both sides) as long as they touch vacation. No credit, no pay. If you have 7 days of vacation, you look at prorate chart and depending on 30 or 31 day month, you are on hook for either 15 or 14 days of work. Meaning if you use them, they have to cram the remaining days of work into what's left. Hence, in a 30 day month, you get 11 days in a row (vacation + VEX) and in remaining 19 days you will be in call for 14 of them.

Only time you would be penalized is if you did what I did.... get two separate vacations in same month (each gets own Slide and VEX days). 14 just became 22 OFF, with VEX. But, on a 30 day month, I am on hook for 10 days according to prorate chart, but with contractually having to give me VEX, I am only available 8. Best case, 7 days available due to FAR 117. This could work out well though, because apparently PBS won't solve and you actually just get nothing awarded for month. It is now treated sorta like a hybrid and I can technically get whole month off if I am willing to sacrifice a bit of pay (just get paid for my 51:20 vacation) or i coordinate with scheduling on what days I wanna build back in to increase pay. Good way to get a whole month off...

Proration chart is in contract, CH. 15

Something I just learned today after I posted. It's 4 VEX days PER month. So if both vacation weeks in same month, you only get 4, not 8. Luckily for me, I was able to slide back so extra 4 go in previous month and still tie together for 22. But there goes having less availability than what I owe. Oh well. Just a heads up.

When do you vex? If I have vacation in June, July and Sep when/how do you tell them what you want to do? also I have 4 unawarded days ( not floated). How do I tell them where I want to use them?

VMS..... It's on bottom of main page. You are looking at history. Select scheduled. Little pencils for VEX, Slide, Trade.

Warning: you can only slide once! You have time (it shows closing day for each vacation month under action schedule button). You are in no rush.