Contract 201
Article 14 – Vacation
In our Contract 101: Article 14 – Vacation, we covered the very basic information about our Vacation procedures and pay. But there is more in-depth language in Article 14 that you can use to enhance both your time off -AND- compensation when bidding for a month with Vacation.
“I was awarded a Vacation block the first week of the month. Will my trip on the 30th be pulled?”
Yes, your BHM/BDL trip was originally awarded and will be pulled because it overlaps into your Vacation.
NOTE: If you would like to keep this pairing and fly it for compensation on top of your Vacation pay, you would need to contact Crew Planning before the end of the Primary Bidding Protest Period.
Inflight.Planning@wnco.com -or- (214) 792-4441
“Will my BHM/BDL trip be used to calculate my Vacation pay?“
Your 7-day Vacation slot will either pay the minimum of 26.25 TFP (3.75 TFP per day of Vacation) -or- what is pulled from within the Vacation block, whichever is greater. So, in your particular situation, the TFP on day two and three of your BHM/BDL pairing and day one of your MCI/MCO pairing will be used to calculate whether your Vacation will pay the minimum or greater.
4.5 TFP + 5.9 TFP + 5.7 TFP = 16.1 TFP < 26.25 TFP (Vacation Pay Minimum)
The Contract 101: Article 14 – Vacation goes into more detail on how our Vacation is paid.
“I have a Vacation slot the first week of the month. Is there a way to maximize my pay?“
Actually, there is if you get creative when you bid! If the flights on your original pairing from the current month and your flights on the pairing in the new month physically overlap, you would take the highest paying day(s) to calculate your Vacation pay. However, if the flights from your original pairing in the current month and your flights on the pairing in the new month do not physically overlap… the TFP for BOTH pairings would be taken into account when calculating Vacation pay!
In this particular situation, the two pairings are original and not physically overlapping. While you would not be legal to fly both pairings, the flights do not actually overlap. To determine whether your Vacation pay will be the minimum of 26.25 TFP or the TFP for the duty periods pulled that are contained within your Vacation, you would add up day three on your PVD/MSP -AND- all four days of your LIH/ITO/LIH pairing. If that total (and any other TFP pulled from within the Vacation slot) is greater than the 26.25 TFP minimum Vacation pay, that would be your compensation.
8.50 TFP + 28.82 TFP = 37.32 TFP > 26.25 TFP
“In Article 14.5.C.2.d, it states that “Vacation commences at 0000 Local Time on the first day of Vacation.” Does that mean this DEN/STL 3-day will be pulled?“
Yes. Because your Vacation begins at 0000 Local Time on the 1st and your pairing is originally scheduled to block-in after 2400 Local Time (Article 14.5.C.2.b), your DEN/STL 3-day will be pulled automatically.
Keep In Mind: Since none of the duty periods for this 3-day reports on a Vacation day, this pull would not go towards your Vacation pay calculation (Article 21.24). If you would like to keep this pairing, you would need to contact Inflight Crew Planning before the end of the Primary Bidding Protest Period (7th at Noon CT).
“I was FINALLY able to hold some of those amazing Hawaii 4-days… but this is my Vacation month and two will be pulled! Is there any way that I can keep a pairing (or two!) that would otherwise be pulled to accommodate my Vacation?“
There is! If you have a pairing that is NOT fully encompassed within your Vacation slot, you can elect to keep and fly the pairing in its entirety, by notifying Crew Planning before the end of the Primary Bidding Protest Period (7th at Noon CT of the month prior to the scheduled flying). In this situation, you would retain the trip(s), and the TFP for the pairing(s) flown would be paid on top of your Vacation pay.
“If I want to keep a pairing that overlaps into my vacation, what should I say to Inflight Crew Planning to make sure it’s done correctly?”
You need to contact Inflight Crew Planning and indicate the dates and pairing number for the trip you would like to keep. It’s always best to send this email from your wnco account. Here is an example email. While yours doesn’t need to be word-for-word, this email contains all the necessary information Inflight Crew Planning will need to ensure that your pairing is not pulled.
IMPORTANT: You MUST communicate with Inflight Crew Planning during the Primary Bid Protest Period (no later than 1200 CT on the 7th of the month prior) in order to keep a pairing that would be automatically pulled.
If not contacted during the Primary Bid Protest Period, pairings which overlap your Vacation will automatically be pulled by Crew Scheduling when bid awards are posted to CWA and Vacation adjustments are being processed.
