Question for the FedEx folks: I'm thinking about bidding for 15 days of vacation starting the last week of a bid month and going through the first week of the next bid month. I know that I have to be able to hold both weeks, but can I expand the vacation in the second month before I know what trips I have for that month? I'm guessing that I can't but I've never tried this before.

Anybody done this with their vacation have any gotchas or advice on how this would work?

Thanks for any input.

 

I don't mean to be rude, but why would you want to expand your vacation when you don't know what your line/trips are? (You can SLIDE your vacation further into the next month, however.)

What you can do if your vacation covers 2 bid months, is expand it as necessary in the first month (to the "left") to knock out whatever trips you want to get rid of. Then when you get your line for the next month, you can expand out to the "right" to knock out more trips, not to exceed 6 CH above the total CH value of your vacation.

I hope that make sense.

MG2

 

MG2: Thanks for the reply. I guess I didn't explain my question very well but you did answer my main concern, which is can you expand each month that is affected? I wouldn't want to expand prior to knowing what I had the next month, but didn't know if they would allow you to expand the same vacation period twice, once in each of the bid months affected.

If you can expand the second week to the right after the new bid month awards are made that would be what I was hoping to do.

It does make sense, which is why I was afraid I couldn't do it!

Thanks again.

 

Are you bidding in one 15 day block or two blocks of say 7 and 8?

 

I don't think I could get both weeks back to back on separate bids, so I would have to bid the 15 days starting the last week of the first month. I might not even be able to hold both weeks, but figured I would have a better chance of getting 15 days on the first pass vice back to back weeks on separate passes.

 

By bidding 15 days, you're actually taking up three weeks of vacation instead of two. So be sure to bid 14 days, too. It will improve your chances of what you want.

 

I do not think that is correct. At least that is the way it reads on the vacation bidding procedures.

"Pilots may split their vacation into four separate periods with a minimum of seven (7) days per period. In order to be awarded a period of 11 days or more, there must be two consecutive slots available. For example, if a pilot wants an 11-day period starting week 50, there must also be available slot in week 51 before week 50 could be awarded. For this 11-day period the pilot must be able to hold both slots."

 

You can also bid 10 days(thus, improving your chances, since only asking for one slot). Make sure that vacation period is your last one of the year. You can then bank a few days of vacation earlier on. For example, if you have 19 days of vacation for the year, bid the 10 days, lets say July. Next go around, bid remaining 9 days anytime earlier than July. Lets assume you bid a March period. Now, when March rolls around, bid such that your 9 days of vacation only hits 4 days worth of trips. Your bank would then reflect 15 days(the five you saved in addition to the 10 you have scheduled in July). When July comes you can now expand up to the total days you have remaining in your bank, plus 6 more hours. 16 days will normally guarantee you being removed from all flying in any month.

This can only be done IF it is your last vacation period of the year. Otherwise, you would be limited to the 10 days, plus 6 hours over. Just another way to accomplish what your trying to do. Most folks don't realize that can be done. Want Xmas off, but no way you can hold week 52. Bid first or second week of December. Bank some vacation and voilą, you've got all of December off, including Xmas. Hope this helps.