Yes I did a search but I still have a question.

What would you say about bidding for a custom line with vacation? I have vacation in the middle of the month, but really need the last 3 weeks off.

There are very few lines that I can use to accomplish this cleanly that I can hold and want to fly. (I am looking for pm out and backs or day turns) I can, however, hold maybe the first secondary line, certainly within the first 5. I can probably hold just about any trash line, but these are tough to work with the days off I need also.

Assuming I could hold the first custom line and figuring that the senior guys will also be taking vacation so there should be some good stuff to build the custom line with, could I cherry pick days and trips and still preserve my vacation and the last 3 weeks off?

My other choice is just bid reserve but I wouldn't get any of the benefit of the vacation leveling at the beginning of the month when I would be on reserve. I would definitely get the days off that I need though.

Any thoughts about vacation and a secondary line? Can you build your secondary line by trips and dates if you are senior enough to hold them? If you have enough vacation hours can you knock out a carryover trip into the next month? The way I read the contract it should be ok. Anybody done this?

Thanks for any comments or advice you guys can offer.

 

For VTO and Vacation, the builder just starts with your hours/6 and put that in to the schedule. 7 Days of vacation for 42 hrs, and then build to make the rest of the BLG. You can not go in and pick trips and then conflict them with vacation. You are better off taking the reserve line, knocking out the required days. If you are a gambling man, then you can try to drop R days and work open time. Good Luck.

 

1. You can knockout carryover with vacation, but the entire balance of the carryover trip will be deducted from your vacation bank.

2. As for having the last three weeks off, maybe, with a VTO.

You will be giving up any control you have with vacation and a VTO. The scheduler will give you 42 CHs (or 48 CHs as the case may be). Then, if you selected MIN BLG in one of your choices, the line will be built to approx 88 CHs. That leaves approx. 40 -46 hours for the scheduler to build the line. Now, if you want those hours in the first two weeks ONLY, then all your requests will need to be centered around those days. However, that does not mean that the scheduler will have the ability to make such a schedule.


3. What about bidding a trash line, expanding to max hours?

4. Or, try a reserve line and suck up the leveling. We are very fat on all seats, so if you did not want to work, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

I would advise against VTO & vacation...every time I have tried it I have been hosed. I've had good luck with vacation and reserve, just remember that if they drop some days due to the buffer they can add them back in anywhere they want, like during the last 3 weeks you want off.

 

First, don't confuse "Secondary" with "Custom." Second, don't bid Secondary Lines when you have Vacation. Vacation works by conflicting trips. Secondary Lines work by ensuring there are no conflicts.


My recommendation would be to bid a reserve line with R-days in the first week, and slide the Vacation left (and Extend, if necessary) to ensure you have the first day you need off. (You have the option of using or waiving the 48-hour buffer before and after the Vacation.) You might work on the first week of R-days, and then the Vacation days will count toward Reserve leveling for the remainder of the R-days that might have to be added to the end of the month. If you're worried about exposure on the R-days after vacation, you might try First Fly during the first week to boost your leveling, or you might consider dropping the late-month R-days.




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Hey....I've got an even better idea. There is a button in VIPS called "Call in Sick". Push it when needed...............

 

Sounds like what I feared. I don't think the secondary line and vacation will be a good mix. I will bid the lines I like and then go with the reserve, which is probably all I'll be able to hold (even at 40% in the seat).

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

 

Grease has it on the nose and Tony alludes to it as well.....DON'T BID SECONDARY W/VACATION. IMHO your best bet is to slide your vacation 5 days (max) in the direction you need off, then expand to max days (3 more) then bid Reserve line that directly conflicts as many as possible. Don't forget you have a 48 hr. buffer on either side of your total vacation footprint as well. This is all predicated on you not being able to hold a regular line which fits your needs. Good Luck.

 

Yikes, I've got to do something about my delivery. I could have sworn I said that.




That all sounds familiar, too, except for the "Expand" part. I know it seems trivial, but "Expand" applies to Regular Line holders, and "Extend" applies to Reserve Line holders. Why does it make a difference? Well, if you have a Reserve Line, and you click on "Expand" in VIPS, it will only tell you that you're not eligible to expand, but it won't tell you why. It won't even hint that you can Extend. In VIPS, the two selections are separate selections.





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Here's the short version: 7 days vacation. 2 days front, 2 days rear. If you commute...subtract 2.

Bottom line, you get 9 days off--somewhere--in a 5 wk bid month. Long ways away from knocking out most of a month...