Contract 101
Article 14 – Vacation
One the biggest perks of being a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant is the flexibility! Article 14 – Vacation is no different. From the first day we step on the aircraft, we begin accruing paid vacation. We individually decide whether we want to bid our vacation for time off or maximum pay. And while we bid for our weeks of vacation the year prior, we are allowed unlimited trades between Vacation Open Time and other Flight Attendants.
CWA > Bid Input > Vacation Trading
“I’m brand new, will I get any vacation days next year?”
Any Employee who is on the Company payroll as of December 31 of any year, but has less than one calendar year of employment, will be entitled to 1⅙ days for each month of employment, rounded to the nearest full day. (Article 14.1.A) For purposes of computing vacation, fifteen days or more of employment in a calendar month will be considered a full month.
“I have been a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant for five years. How many days of vacation have I accrued for next year?”
With 5 years of employment, you have accrued 21 days of vacation for next year. Our vacation accrual is based on years of employment and based on the language in Article 14.1.B.
As of December 31 of any year, a Flight Attendant who has:
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More than 1 year but less than 5 years of employment = 14 days
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5 years but less than 10 years of employment = 21 days
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10 years but less than 18 years of employment = 28 days
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18 years or more of employment = 35 days
TIP: Did you forget your awarded Vacation slots? Take a look at this calendar icon on your CWA assignment screen! If you scroll to the bottom, you’ll find all remaining awarded vacation slots.
SWACrew > Displays > Crew Member Assignments
VACATION BIDDING
During the first week of July of each year, the list of vacation slots will be posted and a schedule for four rounds of Vacation Bidding will be announced. Vacation slots will be in 7-day, 14-day, 21-day, and 28-day increments and awarded based on seniority.
*** For more information about the Vacation Bidding process, please refer to the Basics of Vacation Bidding. ***
MAXIMUM TIME OFF
“I’m planning a fabulous trip and want to spend as much time soaking up the sun and surf as possible. How do I bid to get the most time off?”
Any original trip that overlaps your vacation week will be pulled in its entirety! So, if you can bid for a line that overlaps your vacation week on both ends, you will maximize your days off.
You were awarded a Primary Bid Line with 3-day pairings on Wednesday – Friday. Because you had two trips that overlapped your vacation week (7th – 13th), you had two trips pulled and have until Wednesday the 19th off.
“That’s A LOT of time off! Can I choose to work one of the pulled trips?”
You can! There are options for flying the pairing in its entirety (during the Primary Bidding protest period by contacting Crew Planning) and recovering your trip at a Scheduled Interruption Point (SIP) in Article 14.5.B and C.
“If I pick up a trip over my vacation, how will I be paid?”
You will be paid your vacation pay (either the vacation guarantee or TFP associated with the days pulled which overlap the vacation slot) and then the TFP of the picked-up assignment on top.
“What if I pick up a pairing over my vacation and then need to call in sick?”
You will not be paid out of your sick bank for the days of the picked up assignment which overlap your vacation slot where you report in sick. You can use a valid quarterly PIN or Doctor’s note, approved Leave (including INT FMLA), or an applicable State Leave to excuse the absence and not accrue attendance points.
“Can I pick up a trip for VJA over my vacation and get paid the premium? Or will I lose the premium?”
You absolutely can pick up a VJA pairing over your vacation slot! You would be paid your vacation pay (either the vacation guarantee or TFP associated with the days pulled which overlap the vacation slot) and then the TFP at a rate of 1.5x for the picked-up VJA assignment on top.
MAXIMUM PAY
“My bid award was uploaded to my screen, but the pairings weren’t pulled. Do I need to call Crew Scheduling?”
The vacation pairing pull process is currently done manually by Crew Planning. Once our bid awards have been uploaded to CWA, Crew Planning will complete the required vacation pulls and pay calculation. You should see the pulls completed by the evening of the 7th.
“How is our vacation paid?”
You will be paid 3.75 TFP per day of vacation at your regular rate of pay -or- the TFP for the days pulled that overlap your vacation week, whichever puts more casholla in your pocket!
Example:
A 7-day vacation slot will pay a minimum of 26.25 TFP (3.75 TFP x 7 days).
“Is there a way to maximize my vacation pay?”
Besides picking up additional flying or Reserve over your vacation days, you can also maximize your vacation pay by bidding strategically.
“I’m planning an expensive 40th birthday party later in the year. How do I make the most money out of this vacation block?”
If you want to make more than the minimum vacation pay of 26.25 TFP, you need to bid for the maximum number of days overlapping into your vacation. The more days pulled within your block, the greater chance that the TFP owed you will be more than 26.25 TFP.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples!
Example 1:
This Flight Attendant was awarded a line that resulted in two of the same 3-days pulled. When you calculate the TFP associated with the days pulled which overlap their vacation week (24.40 TFP), we realize that the vacation pay guarantee of 26.25 TFP (3.75 TFP x 7 days of vacation) puts more money in their pocket. They will be paid 26.25 TFP for their vacation week.
Example 2:
This Flight Attendant was awarded a line that resulted in three of the same 2-days being pulled. When you calculate the TFP associated with the days pulled which overlap their vacation week (30 TFP), we realize that the vacation pay guarantee of 26.25 TFP (3.75 TFP x 7 days of vacation) pays less than the TFP pulled (30.00 TFP). They will be paid 30.00 TFP for their vacation week.
“Those 2-day pairings pay! Do I have the option to keep any of them?”
You can choose to keep any pairings that aren’t completely encompassed within the vacation slot. This means you could retain the 2-day(s) on the 6-7 and/or 13-14. In order to not have these pairings automatically pulled, you will need to contact Inflight Crew Planning during the Primary Bidding Protest Period (6th at Noon CT – 7th at Noon CT).
“If I choose to keep both 2-days, what will I be paid?”
We already calculated that your vacation will pay 30.00 TFP. If you keep two of the 2-days (which pay 15.00 TFP, you would be paid 60.00 TFP for this span of time.
Vacation: 30.00 TFP +
2-day (6-7): 15.00 TFP +
2-day (13-14): 15.00 TFP = 60.00 TFP
“Can I bid down for Reserve during a vacation month?”
No. During your vacation month, you will be awarded a Primary Bid Line.