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Vacation Bidding, How Do You Do It?

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sleepy

Living The Dream!
Joined
Apr 29, 2002
Posts
1,573
If you have a large department (say more than 10 pilots) I would like your feedback on how you award vacation. Our corporate policy states that if two people want the same dates that DOH seniority rules. That is it, no other guidance is provided. I have to develop a new policy that is more detailed, like a seniority based bidding system. Just wondering how others might handle this?
 
We have over 10 pilots and use a yearly weekend schedule. As staffed, we dont usually have an issue with multiple pilots utilizing vacation time on the same dates. It is never dictated on DOH, but who is first to request. If we used DOH, the junior guys would never get any time off. Some of our senior guys have 6-8 weeks vacation every year now, disgusting I know:)
 
We have over 10 pilots and use a yearly weekend schedule. As staffed, we dont usually have an issue with multiple pilots utilizing vacation time on the same dates. It is never dictated on DOH, but who is first to request. If we used DOH, the junior guys would never get any time off. Some of our senior guys have 6-8 weeks vacation every year now, disgusting I know:)

We never have enough staffing because we have to plan to crew every aircraft (4) every day of the year. So, only 4 pilots can be off on any given day unless someone is in recurrent training (which causes the number who can be off to be reduced to 2 or 3). So, I have to come up with a way to allocate vacation days.

Typically getting vacation is not an issue, except around major holidays or during the summer.
 
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We only have four pilots but I think the same rule can apply. We work two weeks on two weeks off. Our schedule is put out three months in advance so you know what your dates of scheduled work will be 3 months ahead. typically we must request vacation before the schedule comes out. First come first serve. Now there are times that some guys want vacation after the schedule is out so they can maximize their days off to match the TIME off schedule. NOT FAIR. We try not to allow that unless its an emergency. Most of the time we work with the pilot we might be swapping out with and work out the problem internally before it even gets to the chief pilot. If you have a good crew they should work out the problem and as long as the airplane is covered, boss doesnt care who is on or off..
 
Ours is first come, first served with seniority as a tie breaker. But we rarely fly during the holidays and everyone gets tons of vacation and free time. In fact we schedule our Gulfstream for Savannah maintenance in Dec/Jan. I'm on vacation from 14 Dec to Jan 2 just to burn vacation or I lose it. I will be town the whole time and can take a trip if one pops up, so management is letting a more junior guy take out of state vacation. We are very flexible with the schedule and everyone is a Captain so it is no big deal anyway.
 

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