Annual Leave

[Harlok]

I was wondering how annual leave works for SOs at cathay. I know they have up to 21 days, but do you have to ask for holidays before the roster comes out? do those days include or exclude weekends/public holidays and can you "attach" them to rest days to have a longer vacation period?
Thanks in advance for any reply!

[Capt Toss Parker]

You're on a permanent holiday so be thankful now go fetch me the blue bag jimmy one stripe

[Bob Hawke]

Toss, slap that Blue Bag Bitch Ho!

[Capt Toss Parker]

Dam right .... General aviation pilots back row good for nothing sandwich eaters .... sit down shut up and let me tell you how good I am, I'm a Caribou Pilot Bitch! :eek:

[Turbine Overheat]

You'll get to enter the lottery once every year. Most don't win
Therefore the company will at random tell you where you are having leave. Public holidays don't exist as far as leave bids are concerned.

In some circumstances you can manage to attach normal days off to your leave, this can, if lucky net you an extra week off.

[sorvad]

Harlok

not certain its the same for an SO with 21 days, but this is how it works for most of us at Cathay. When the leave bid comes out..I forget exactly when that is ....you can bid for either 1 2 or 3 weeks at a time (or more if you are entitled to more leave). then, depending on a points system and seniority you will either be awarded the leave you want, or, if not available allocated leave which you might not want...your unwanted leave you can then throw back in a pool in the hope that someone else has done the same with the period that you do want, which you can then bid for.

You then need to wait for your awarded leave to be confirmed, which, unless things have gone a bit tits up since it was awarded, it will be. You can also request up to 4 days off to be tagged on to the beginning or end...you do this on the request system about 2 months before and it is usually successful.

the upshot is that its a bit complicated but in 11 years or so, Ive usually had at least 2/3rds of the leave I have wanted either at initial bid or subsequently from the pool.

The one certain thing as an SO is that because of the solely longhaul nature of the flying, you will get a lot of time off even without leave!

Hope this helps

[AQIS Boigu]

You're on a permanent holiday

Not true if you ask any of the lucky ones who are ccq'ed... their rosters are far from a permanent holiday...

[Harlok]

thanks so much for the useful info! The reason why i was concerned is that id love to spend some time back in europe with my family/friends once or twice a year, and Im not sure how feasible that would be without taking at least 10 -15 days straight off. That 4 days off tagged to the annual leave thing sonds cool. Thanks again

[Capt Toss Parker]

People who run back to their home land every spare minute are making life hard for themselves. Yes we all like to get home, but sitting in a corner booth at the Dragon Club with two 18 year old bitches, or hitting New Makati on Sunday with a Ming Court transition is a sure cure of home sickness. :ok:

Can I Get A BOOYAHHHH Yeahhhh bitches Thats how you cure Home Sickness!!

[40Deg STH]

Blue bag bitch.............we laugh every flight, he is brilliant!!:ok:

Bring back BBB

[sorvad]

Toss...please retire gracefully...funny while lt lasted but you're starting to get very boring