Trying to give away a trip. Went to trading, seniority trip trade, selected trip to drop, then it gives me 2 choices: vac drop or trip trade. Does "vac drop" mean drop the trip/give it away? It sounds like I'm dropping vacation or something. I don't want to trade for anything, I just want to give it away. Thanks for any help.

 

Can't do just an Advertised Drop like we could before at CAL. MEC is working on restoring this function.

 

By selecting VAC you are indicating you want to be paid for the trip using next year's vacation time. By selecting Trip Trade you are indicating that you want to drop the trip or get rid of the trip without pay (WOP).

 

From recent 171 update

TRIP TRADE SYSTEM

Your representatives have been inundated with calls from pilots expressing frustration about the new Trip Trade System. The most common question has been regarding absence of the Trip Advertisement function. Your reps have communicated your frustration to the MEC Chairman and IAH Chief Pilot’s Office. The common answer given is: It’s being worked on. However, we don’t know when restoration of the Trip Advertisement function will be complete.

The Trip Advertisement function offered an invaluable convenience for a pilot to enhance their monthly schedule by advertising a trip for straight pick-up or mutual trade. This function was not relinquished during negotiations of the UPA.

Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the attention! Let your frustration be known. We are confident that if all 2373 LC 171 Pilots (IAH) were to communicate, through email, their frustration with the absence of the Trip Trade function, restoration of that function would come sooner rather than later.

 

When you put in to drop a trip it will then show as a "potential open" trip in the Search Trips tab.

Pilots looking to pick up trips that are currently covered should search for "potential open" trips. Then either put the pick up into the system or get a hold of the other pilot for a pilot-to-pilot trade.

The drawback is "potential open" does not differentiate from drop vs. trade.

 

Thanks everyone for help. I figured it was just my stupidity making life hard. At least I can claim someone else's stupidity is responsible this time.