Vacation/Holiday, how much do you get?

[outofsight]

I was just wondering how other pilots do for holiday time. I've heard that in the US the pay can be great but you only get 2 weeks off a year. Does anyone out there working for the US majors give me an idea if this is true?

Also heard you get some real good travel benefits such as free travel for family and extra buddy passes that you can dish out to friends.


Here in the UK I fly 757/767 for a large charter company called Britannia and we all get 6 weeks off per year. This seems pretty good if the US 2 weeks is correct.

[LAVDUMPER]

Outofsight,

6 weeks sounds like a pretty good deal.

I have a relative who flies 757/767 for Delta airlines as an FO - I believe his vacation allotment is 2-3 weeks in his 3rd year with the company. That certainly does not compare well with the European airlines. On the plus side, he will make $100,000+ by next year as an FO on the same aircraft (does not include back-pay with the impending new contract).

Given that he rarely flies more than 15-16 days per month, he can call the remainder of days in the month his "vacation days." He is no longer on reserve. Sounds like a good deal to me...

[outofsight]

I think I'd trade in 3 weeks of vacation for a pay increase like that thats about $35,000 more than I get and I've been in this company for 2-3 years.

Think he'd do a swop?

Thanks for the info Lav dumper
wonder if 2-3 weeks is as good as it gets for the USA.

15 days off a month is pretty good though.

[411A]

SV in the 1980's, 4 weeks. SQ and UL, 6 weeks. These were the allotments for Commanders. UL was interesting that, no overtime pay but extra days. Managed 102 days straight in 1993, 93 in 1994.

[THINALBERT]

Royal Brunei Airlines 48 days leave + 9 days Off Roster (effectively 57 days leave) and some slip patterns that have you down route for 13 days and only working for 4 of them.

Its a hard life

[Capt'n Jim]

At Fedex I've got 29 days (ess. 4 weeks) of paid vacation, with our week - on,week - off scedule I can usually get 3- 4 weeks off in a row with just one week of vacation. Last summer I was able to bid 2 weeks in July and turned that into 7 weeks off in a row.
Jim Fedex 727 Capt.

[Denti]

At Deutsche BA we get in the first three years 39 days paid vacation, from the 4th year on 42 days. And we get 11 days off per month.

Denti

[cpdude]

At Cathay Pacific we get 6 weeks off these days (it use to be 8 weeks in the good old days).

[Mr Benn]

At Air 2000 we get 4 weeks. Thats 37 days holiday of which 8 are in lieu of Bank Holidays. Doesn't change no matter how long you are in the company. We are meant to get 104 days off per year but this is at the companys discretion so it doesn't always happen.

[Son Of Piltdown]

Try bmi.

6 weeks leave.
10 Days off a month. (Company can buy back 3 in the Summer)
3 Public holiday Days.

[Canuck_AV8R]

We get 2 weeks in years 1 - 3, 3 weeks in years 4 - 7 and after 7 years it goes to 4 weeks. Along with this we get 10 statutory holiday days which can be bid as vacation.

As for monthly schedules I rarely work more than 15 days in a month. So all in all it is pretty good.

Cheers