Vacation question

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HavaJava
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Vacation question

Post by HavaJava »

I'm doing a comparison of airline vacation policy and I was hoping someone could help me with a couple questions regarding Westjet's vacation policy.

What is your vacation week/years of service matrix.

How much is each vacation day worth? Is it per day or per week?

Does taking a vacation week pro-rate the amount of days you have to work in the rest of the month?

Thanks in advance!
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slob driver
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Re: Vacation question

Post by slob driver »

HavaJava wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:09 am I'm doing a comparison of airline vacation policy and I was hoping someone could help me with a couple questions regarding Westjet's vacation policy.

What is your vacation week/years of service matrix.

Answer-
first 3 years of employment- 2 weeks
4-6 years of employment- 3 weeks
7+ years of employment- 4 weeks
*Add 10 days of stat days for two extra weeks per year for every pilot

How much is each vacation day worth? Is it per day or per week?
Answer-
4.5 hours per day. All days awarded in five day blocks, including stat days. Can add two days to a vacation block of five days, which will then equate to a block of five paid and two unpaid

Does taking a vacation week pro-rate the amount of days you have to work in the rest of the month?
Answer-
It's a straight one for one pro ration. Eg. All line holders work a max of sixteen days. With one block of vacation in a month, one will work a max of 11 days that month.

*Different rules for reduced block pilots, of which there is a little over 70 in our ranks

Thanks in advance!
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HavaJava
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Re: Vacation question

Post by HavaJava »

Thanks so much for the quick response!

So to confirm if you are taking "1 week" of vacation, it is really only 5 paid days and 2 unpaid days at your option?
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slob driver
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Re: Vacation question

Post by slob driver »

You could look at it two different ways if you'd like. "One week" of 5 days at 4.5 hours per day or one week of 7 days at 3.21428571 hours if one chooses to add the two day option to a vacation block. Your choice, but the two extra days are not decreasing your days worked that month, just the five.
I assume you're doing the comparing with the usual suspects- AC, TRZ, SWG, and WJ.

Air Canada
1 year or more, but less than 5 years- 14 calendar days
5 years or more, but less than 15 years- 21 calendar days
15 years or more, but less than 25 years-28 calendar days
25 years or more- 35 calendar days
Credit per day of vacation- 2.9167
Stat days per year-9

Transat
1 year but less than 2 years- 11 days
2 years but less than 3 years- 12 days
3 years but less than 4 years- 13 days
4 years but less than 5 years- 14 days
5 years but less than 7 years- 16 days
7 years but less than 8 years- 18 days
8 years but less than 10 years- 20 days
10 years but less than 12 years-23 days
12 years but less than 15 years-25 days
15 years but less than 25 years-27 days
25 years or more- 29 days
Credit per day of vacation- 4.00
Stat days per year- 11

Sunwing
Less than One (1) Year- 0.83 days per month
1 year or more but less than 4 Years-10 Days
4 years or more but less than 10 Years- 15 days
10 years +- 20 days
Credit per day of vacation- 4.00
Stat days per year-9

WestJet
A Pilot’s annual vacation allotment is as follows:
a) During the first three (3) years of employment: two (2) weeks per year.
b) At the commencement of the 4th year of employment until the end of the 6th year of employment: three (3) weeks per year.
c) At the commencement of the 7th year of employment: 4 weeks per year
26-1.03. A week of vacation/Statutory Holidays is deemed to be equivalent to five (5) consecutive Days and shall begin at 0100 local time of the first vacation day.
Credit per day of vacation- 4.5
Stat days per year- 10

You will see the trend that the older airlines have more days of vacation, which is not a surprise. WestJet and Sunwing have not been around for 25 years, so this has not been identified as a bargaining priority. The 4.5 hours per day for WJ is good, and should be (imo) used for pattern bargaining at the other carriers. The Transat total days in the mid years of service should be used for the pattern for all carriers. One of many examples of the quality of Transat's contract, which I hope ACPA pays attention to when coming up with a Joint Collective Agreement. And for the record, I am a WJ pilot

Source on all of these numbers are the respective CA's
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Last edited by slob driver on Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Blue42
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Re: Vacation question

Post by Blue42 »

And the 2 GDOs can be added to the either end of the 5 day block or split 1 & 1 at each end. If you have two blocks of 5, 10 days total, you can added the 4 GDOs at one end as well. Also each block can be taken where ever you can get it, i.e. if you have 5 blocks, you can bid 5 times. I think AC only allows you to split your bids a certain number of times, I know that’s the deal with FAs, pilots may be different. Takes 25 years to be able to split vacation 4 times...
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elanelown
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Re: Vacation question

Post by elanelown »

I was looking for the answer to the same question. Thank you all guys for your answers on this topic; especially great thanks to the slob driver for providing such a detailed answer. Right now I'm also thinking about going to a vacancy with my family, and we are planning to travel to the EU for a bit and then go to some good place near the sea. If anyone got a good suggestion of a hotel or travel agency, I could address to find a perfect place for my family and me to rest after this crazy year? My friend suggests me these guys. I read some reviews, and in a common place is looking great Losaltosresort.com, but I am still looking for options. I will really appreciate any feedback.
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Last edited by elanelown on Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
TFTMB heavy
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Re: Vacation question

Post by TFTMB heavy »

slob driver wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:52 am You could look at it two different ways if you'd like. "One week" of 5 days at 4.5 hours per day or one week of 7 days at 3.21428571 hours if one chooses to add the two day option to a vacation block. Your choice, but the two extra days are not decreasing your days worked that month, just the five.
I assume you're doing the comparing with the usual suspects- AC, TRZ, SWG, and WJ.

Air Canada
1 year or more, but less than 5 years- 14 calendar days
5 years or more, but less than 15 years- 21 calendar days
15 years or more, but less than 25 years-28 calendar days
25 years or more- 35 calendar days
Credit per day of vacation- 2.9167
Stat days per year-9

Transat
1 year but less than 2 years- 11 days
2 years but less than 3 years- 12 days
3 years but less than 4 years- 13 days
4 years but less than 5 years- 14 days
5 years but less than 7 years- 16 days
7 years but less than 8 years- 18 days
8 years but less than 10 years- 20 days
10 years but less than 12 years-23 days
12 years but less than 15 years-25 days
15 years but less than 25 years-27 days
25 years or more- 29 days
Credit per day of vacation- 4.00
Stat days per year- 11

Sunwing
Less than One (1) Year- 0.83 days per month
1 year or more but less than 4 Years-10 Days
4 years or more but less than 10 Years- 15 days
10 years +- 20 days
Credit per day of vacation- 4.00
Stat days per year-9

WestJet
A Pilot’s annual vacation allotment is as follows:
a) During the first three (3) years of employment: two (2) weeks per year.
b) At the commencement of the 4th year of employment until the end of the 6th year of employment: three (3) weeks per year.
c) At the commencement of the 7th year of employment: 4 weeks per year
26-1.03. A week of vacation/Statutory Holidays is deemed to be equivalent to five (5) consecutive Days and shall begin at 0100 local time of the first vacation day.
Credit per day of vacation- 4.5
Stat days per year- 10

You will see the trend that the older airlines have more days of vacation, which is not a surprise. WestJet and Sunwing have not been around for 25 years, so this has not been identified as a bargaining priority. The 4.5 hours per day for WJ is good, and should be (imo) used for pattern bargaining at the other carriers. The Transat total days in the mid years of service should be used for the pattern for all carriers. One of many examples of the quality of Transat's contract, which I hope ACPA pays attention to when coming up with a Joint Collective Agreement. And for the record, I am a WJ pilot

Source on all of these numbers are the respective CA's
At TS our days off are not pro rated when we have vacation or stat days.
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