Section 13 - Vacation

A. VACATION ACCRUAL, PAY AND CREDIT

1. Accrual of vacation days to be used in the following calendar year shall be based on a Flight Attendant’s longevity as of December 31^st. Vacation pay and credit shall be based on a Flight Attendant’s longevity at the time the vacation is taken. Flight Attendants shall accrue vacation days according to the following schedule:

 

	Effective 12/31/9912/31/99			Effective 12/31/001			Effective 12/31/011			Effective 12/31/02112/31/02
	Hrs. per Day	Days per Year	Credit Hrs.	Hrs. per Day	Days per Year	Credit Hrs.	Hrs. per Day	Days per Year	Credit Hrs.	Hrs. per Day	Days per Year	Credit Hrs.
Yr 1	2.5	7	17.5	2.5	7	17.5	2.5	7	17.5	2.5	7	17.5
Yr 2	2.5	14	35.0	2.5	14	35.0	2.5	14	35.0	2.5	14	35.0
Yr 3	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0
Yr 4	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0	3.0	14	42.0
Yr 5	3.0	21	63.0	3.0	21	63.0	3.0	21	63.0	3.0	21	63.0
Yr 6	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5
Yr 7	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5
Yr 8	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5	3.5	21	73.5
Yr 9	4.0	21	84.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0
Yr 10	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0
Yr 11	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0	4.0	28	112.0
Yr 12	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	29	130.5
Yr 13	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	29	130.5	4.5	30	135.0
Yr 14	4.5	28	126.0	4.5	29	130.5	4.5	30	135.0	4.5	31	139.5
Yr 15	4.5	29	130.5	4.5	30	135.0	4.5	31	139.5	4.5	32	144.0
Yr 16	4.5	30	135.0	4.5	31	139.5	4.5	32	144.0	4.5	33	148.5
Yr 17	4.5	31	139.5	4.5	32	144.0	4.5	33	148.5	4.5	34	153.0
Yr 18	4.5	32	144.0	4.5	33	148.5	4.5	34	153.0	4.5	35	157.5
Yr 19	4.5	33	148.5	4.5	34	153.0	4.5	35	157.5	4.5	35	157.5
Yr 20	4.5	34	153.0	4.5	35	157.5	4.5	35	157.5	4.5	35	157.5

2. A Flight Attendant will accrue vacation during every month that she/he is on active status for fifteen (15) or more days. A Flight Attendant will begin accruing vacation on the first day following the completion of her/his probationary period.

3. Each seven (7) day award will constitute a vacation group. Each group may be bid alone, or blocked with another group(s), at the Flight Attendant’s option.

 

1. A Flight Attendant who is awarded a line with a trip(s) that conflicts with the vacation group will be removed from the conflicting trip(s). A Flight Attendant shall be Low Time Adjusted, if applicable, as provided in Section 6, Bid Administration, Subsection F.

 

2. In a vacation month, at the Flight Attendant’s option, she/he shall be entitled to a selective trip(s) drop(s) of up to four (4) additional duty periods on either or both sides of her/his vacation, so long as the drops fall completely within the vacation month. A regular Lineholder shall submit drop requests for the following month between 1800 on the 18^th, and 1800 on the 20^th of the prior month. A Flight Attendant who exercises this option shall be required to pick up an equivalent amount of time from COT during the Schedule Adjustment Process. A Flight Attendant who fails to do so by 1200 on the 24^th shall be Company Adjusted for the amount of time dropped. When any portion of the trip to be dropped touches one or more of the blackout dates the selective trip drop will not be approved unless Crew Resources determines there is adequate Flight Attendant coverage. The blackout periods are as follows:

 

1. January 1^st & 2^nd;

 

2. The three (3) days before the Memorial Day holiday and Memorial Day;

 

3. July 1^st through 5^th;

 

4. The three (3) days before, Thanksgiving, and the three (3) days after;

 

5. December 22^nd through December 31^st

 

3. During a vacation month, if a Flight Attendant who is not subject to low time adjustment in accordance with Section 6, Bid Administration, Paragraph E.4.b., exercises the vacation selective drop provision above, she/he shall only be required to pick up enough time to bring her/his final adjusted line to a minimum of forty (40) credit hours.

 

4. A Relief Lineholder and a Reserve Flight Attendant may, at her/his option, move those scheduled days off which fall within the core vacation days to provide additional time off immediately before and/or immediately after a vacation group. Exercising this option will guarantee a Relief Lineholder and a Reserve Flight Attendant her/his minimum guaranteed days off per month in addition to the vacation days. The Flight Attendant will notify Crew Resources of where to place the additional day(s) off on either side of the vacation. This day(s) will become a "Golden Day(s)." The request will automatically be approved and is not subject to staffing needs. Notification to Crew Resources by a Relief Lineholder or Reserve Flight Attendant will take place between 1800 on the 18^th and 1800 on the 20^th of the month prior to the vacation month.

 

5. In a vacation month, a Blank Relief Lineholder shall have the option to designate four (4) "Golden Days" to be placed immediately adjacent to her/his vacation group. Notification to Crew Resources by the Blank Relief Lineholder must be accomplished between 1800 on the 18^th and 1800 on the 26^th of the month prior to the vacation month.

 

1. Vacation groupings shall be made available for bid in seven (7) day increments. Each seven (7) day vacation group shall begin on a Friday and end on a Thursday.

 

2. Prior to October 1^st, the Company will determine by domicile the number of vacation groups for the following calendar year. The number of vacation groups will be no less than the number of groups available to Flight Attendants for bid for that year. The Company will meet with the MEC President or designee to provide the Union with information as to the vacation groups planned for the following year one month prior to the posting of the annual vacation bid.

 

3. The Company shall post all available vacation groups for bid on or before October 1^st. The bid shall close on October 31^st and awards shall be posted on or before November 10^th. The monthly bid packet will reflect the vacations scheduled for the following month.

    

4. Vacation groups which are vacated during the year, or which are added by the Company for any reason, will be posted in the monthly Flight Attendant Shuffle Bid. Open vacation groups available for trade or for pick-up by flight attendants will be posted in the Shuffle Bid throughout the year.

    

5. Available vacation slots for the remainder of the year shall be posted by 0800 on the first day of each bid period. The Shuffle Bid shall close seven (7) days later at 1200 and be posted by 1700 the following business day. Flight Attendants electing to utilize the Shuffle Bid shall be awarded vacation slots, if available, in seniority order. A hard copy of the Shuffle Bid award will posted in the domicile in secure areas with reasonable access and Flight Attendant crew rooms in PHX, CMH and LAS. Upon request, the Flight Attendant who has not been awarded a vacation group in the Shuffle Bid will be given the reason for denial.

    

6. As an exception to Paragraph C.1., above, a Flight Attendant with less than one (1) complete seven (7) day vacation group will be entitled to bid it as a separate vacation group, or, at her/his option, she/he shall be entitled to add those day(s) before or after any of her/his complete seven (7) day vacation group awards as long as the extra day(s) do not fall on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.

    

7. A Flight Attendant who fails to submit a vacation bid or bids an insufficient number of times will be awarded the first available open vacation group at her/his seniority, beginning with December 31^st and moving in reverse chronological order to January 1^st.

 

1. A Flight Attendant will not be required to work during a vacation.

    

2. A Flight Attendant may elect to pick up Flight Attendant Personal Trades during a vacation.

    

3. A Flight Attendant may elect to pick up Volunteer Fly during a vacation.

    

4. A Flight Attendant may elect to cash out her/his vacation and work during a vacation as long as Bid Administration is notified by the (8) eighth day of the bid period prior to the vacation month. The Flight Attendant will be paid pursuant to A. above per vacation day at her/his applicable rate. This will not apply to her/his line until the vacation month. A Flight Attendant with less than one (1) vacation group may also elect to be paid for the vacation days.

E. VACATION WHEN TRANSFERRING FROM ANOTHER DOMICILE

When a Flight Attendant transfers from another domicile, she/he will not be permitted to transfer her/his vacation dates. In the new domicile, the following options will apply:

 

1. She/He may attempt to pick up an open vacation(s) in the monthly shuffle bid, or in the current month, by calling Bid Administration;

    

2. She/He may request a pay-out of the vacation, and will be paid in the month following the request in the paycheck containing pay exceptions;

If she/he has not succeeded in picking up a satisfactory vacation group by the end of the year, the vacation will be paid out, except that a Flight Attendant whose transfer takes place on November 1^st or later will be permitted to carry-over her/his vacation until the end of the following year. If she/he has not succeeded in picking up a satisfactory vacation group by the end of the following year, the vacation will be paid out.

F. VACATION TRADES

A Flight Attendant will be permitted to trade a vacation group(s) with another Flight Attendant in her/his domicile. The trade must be submitted and approved by Bid Administration no later than the eighth (8^th) day of the bid period prior to the bid period affected by the trade.

G. VACATION CANCELLATION

In the event there are concerns regarding the adequacy of the staffing in any month, prior to canceling vacations, the Company shall implement these procedures in the following order:

 

1. Time permitting, recall in seniority order, any furloughed Flight Attendants who are qualified and current, so long as such furloughed Flight Attendants are willing to waive the provisions in Section 21, Furlough, that guarantees twenty-one days notice of recall and one month’s employment. Return from furlough under these conditions is voluntary, and a furloughed Flight Attendant who declines to waive will not be considered to have refused recall.

    

2. Time permitting, offer voluntary return from leave to Flight Attendants who are qualified and current.

    

3. If the measures in Paragraphs G.1. and G.2., above, are insufficient to prevent vacation cancellation, or if the vacation cancellations would occur after bid distribution for the month in which the vacations are scheduled the Company shall implement the following procedures prior to cancellation:

    

   1. Offer vacation buy-back for a determined amount of vacation time in seniority order on a voluntary basis at 115% of her/his applicable pay rate. In lieu of the 115%, a Flight Attendant may notify the Company that she/he would prefer to reschedule the vacation at a later time during the current year. In the event the Flight Attendant is not able to reschedule the vacation to her/his satisfaction, she/he will be paid for the bought-back vacation at 115% at the end of the year.

       

   2. Offer Volunteer Fly;

    

4. In the event the Company determines that vacations need to be canceled after the previous steps have been followed, the Company shall notify the MEC President and the affected Flight Attendant(s). Such notification shall be made at least one bid period prior to the bid period of the cancellation unless the cancellation is necessitated by circumstances not reasonably foreseen and beyond the control of the Company. Vacation cancellation shall be in inverse seniority order, except that a vacation will not be canceled if the Flight Attendant’s vacation, including the day(s) off immediately preceding the vacation days, as shown in the Final Adjusted Lines, has already started. To cancel a vacation with less than seven (7) days notice, the Company must notify the Flight Attendant through positive contact. The Company shall make every attempt to offer the options listed in Paragraphs G.3.a. and b., above, prior to canceling a vacation. When a vacation is canceled, the Flight Attendant and the Company shall attempt to find a mutually agreeable substitute vacation group during the current year. This shall not result in cancellation of any other Flight Attendant’s vacation. In the event a mutual agreement is not reached, the Flight Attendant shall have one of the following options:

    

   1. Bidding the canceled vacation time in the vacation bid for the following year, or;

       

   2. Electing to receive compensation in lieu of vacation.

    

5. Once a vacation has been rescheduled due to cancellation by the Company, it shall not be canceled again. If the Flight Attendant with the canceled vacation elects to take that vacation in the next year, she/he will notify the Company as to which vacation will be the "Golden" vacation (e.g., the one that cannot be canceled). This notification shall occur after vacations have been awarded and prior to December 31^st of the year prior to the vacation.

    

6. In the event the Company cancels a Flight Attendant’s vacation for operational needs, all non-refundable vacation deposits which the Flight Attendant, with the assistance of the Company, is unable to recover, shall be reimbursed to the Flight Attendant. In order to receive reimbursement, the Flight Attendant shall provide the Company with adequate proof of the deposit.

H. A Flight Attendant who leaves the service of the Company will be paid for all unused vacation time previously awarded or accrued, which she/he has not yet taken, including carry-over, where applicable. However, a Flight Attendant who leaves the service of the Company in 1999 will not receive pay for vacation accrued in 1999.

I. A Flight Attendant who has been awarded vacation prior to going on leave and whose vacation falls during the leave shall have the options as provided in Section 14, Leaves of Absence.

J. During a vacation month a Flight Attendant may drop to her/his equivalent vacation credit hours through Flight Attendant trades/drops.

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