What is the Leave/Holiday system like in your airline?
 

I'd be interested to know 3 things.
1 What is the best aspect of the system you currently use?
2 What is the worst?
3 If you had a family event to attend in 1 years time, what are the chances that you would be able to get that specific date off?

nothing good at the low fares made simple airline...

month off assigned to you, one per year, you could get january one year, and dec the following year, giving you nearly 2 years without any significant leave. 10 ad hoc days that more often than not get refused. Take one days leave from you for xmas, despite the airline not operating that day! its totally rubbish.

The system I got in the Pink airline is a holiday system, where you can bid for specific days/periods, we have a certain amount of holidays per year. You can give priority to holiday periods. I get the impression it is based on a ''first come, first serve'' basis. Which seems fair in my personal opinion. Also depending on how big/busy your base is. I am in a smaller base, so generally you can get the holidays you request. Next to this in some bases you can get a fixed 14/7 schedule, which I got. So I can plan ahead quite far regarding off days. I managed to combine some with my requested holidays and have quite some days off in August for example.

1. Best aspect I think is that you can choose your own periods and give priorities. Even when not approved, the base captain might help you find a solution.
2. Worst part is that off course when you aren't quick enough with planning your holidays for christmas etc. too many people might have requested the same and you get stuck at the back of the que with potentially having to spend Christmas and/or new year stuck in your base...
3. Due to the nature of my schedule I could be able to be say yes depending if the event would fall within my off week of that month.... otherwise its going to be a holiday request which takes time to be approved.

All in all, it really depends on the base, requested period, personal roster etc.... people in a much busier base might have a totally different opinion about the system than me...

Freightdog in Europe based in uk on 737, week on week off, just got two weeks leave at whit, two weeks off in Aug, two weeks at Xmas , works well with youngster at school, leave is three blocks of two weeks, first come first served.

Im guessing I am with the same pink brigade.

I like our vacation system as it is a first come first server, I believe they try to keep it fair as well, ie you cant expect Xmas off every year if someone else wants it.
My only dislike, is that its current setup runs from 1st Jan till 31st Dec, which means we can't currently book new years off if we want to.

Many roster choices for many bases which means lifestyle can easily be adopted on a case to case basis.

Northern European Legacy. 42 days off per year (after 20 yrs of svc), 22 wintertime, 20 summertime (may through sep). Points system to allocate whether you get your requested time off or not, i.e. if you got prime time last year, you might have to settle for something less this year. But 3 out of 5 yrs you get what you want pretty much.
If I had specific event next year, yes I could probably do it, at least with days off (1-5 days off requested can pretty much be guaranteed).

BACF - 3 weeks summer / 3 weeks winter... points based but I have no idea how that works its double dutch!! The main gripe is that you have to submit leave so far in advance - and once its in and set, it is pretty impossible to move unless they have the capacity so it makes doing anything at the last min/spur of the moment etc really difficult. Would like a system that offers live real-time availability ideally - click and confirm etc but I can dream...

I found that the secret to getting a particular day off, like Christmas etc. was to bid for an unpopular trip that got back to base the day before, which takes you completely out of the annual leave/requested days off scenario and puts back into the standard days off after a trip. When long haul, New York in winter not being particularly popular, I would bid for a ten day trip via Europe, from SE Asia, that got back on the 23rd December and then gave me the next three days off. Sometimes it is possible to use the system in your favour without getting mixed up with the stampeding herd! ;)

1 What is the best aspect of the system you currently use?
A mix of seniority and points based to allow a fair and transparent leave system. Those who have a fortnight off in July or August this year will probably have April/May/June/September/October next year. Leave is allocated months in advance so plenty of time to plan. 42 days annual leave of which 15 are allocated to winter leave, 10 are allocated to summer leave and the rest are at the request of the individual to request, or carry your leave into next year (company can allocate some leave though to avoid buying it back from you).

2 What is the worst?
Summer period is April to October so summer holidays with kids can sort of skip a year.

3 If you had a family event to attend in 1 years time, what are the chances that you would be able to get that specific date off?
Nearly 100% you will get the day or days off. Unless its 24/25/26th December!

Out of interest, are you working for a UK charter airline?
IS your ability to get the specific date 1 year in advance a product of general leave abundance or a system that allows you to target a specific date with some priority?
Thanks

The worst thing that happens is the airline grants a few more leave slots so that as many crews can get the time off with kids etc.
The worst bit to that is the pilots left have to do their bit / accept a few more changes / be more flexible / team effort
The best bit is the Pilots are told all of the above and give the thumbs up
The worst bit is Pilots have selective memories