Source: Elines

Second Round Vacation awards are posted on CCS, under the Reports tab, Annual Vacation Awards. This will conclude the bidding procedure and move us into the next phase of vacation processes,Vacation Modifications and Trading. The remaining key dates are critical components of the 2018 Vacation procedure. 

We encourage all Flight Attendants to review the vacation trade options that will be available:

• Seniority Trades with Open Time
• Flight Attendant-to-Flight Attendant Trades
• Instant Trades with Open Time

Before vacation trading begins, monthly vacation allocations will be published no later than November 24, 2017. Vacation Allocation Charts, which outline the open days available for trades, are located on CCS under the Bidding Tab Menu.  Select "myVacation" and click on "Click here" adjacent to the To view Vacation Allocation Open Days link.

Once the allocations have been published, Flight Attendants will be able to modify or trade vacations in the first vacation trade process, Open Time Trades by Seniority. Flight Attendants shall have no fewer than six (6) days to submit requests to trade for open vacation periods.

In order to be successful in processing the trades, review the vacation trade guidelines and trade information provided below. 

Vacation Trade Guidelines:

The following requirements apply for vacations that overlap schedule months:

Additionally, Flight Attendants with fewer than 12 days exchanging vacations, must do an EVEN TRADE. Understanding, the day count must match exactly. Whereas, when trading the entire vacation period for fewer days, it must be a REDUCTION of days. Trades accessible to those trading 12 or more days, include PARTIAL TRADES, and PARTIAL TRADES AND REDUCTIONS. This arises when someone trades part of their vacation for less days, resulting in additional vacation intervals. In this instance, Flight Attendants will be paid the value of accrued unused vacation days in the month their vacation would have occurred. 

Examples of Partial Vacation Trades and Rules are available in Part 3 of the Vacation Booklet, monthly options (Pg 5-8). 

November 24 – 30th, 2017

Open Time Trades by Seniority:

The first availablevacation trade option will be a single round of seniority-based Open Time Trades by Seniority. Trade requests may be submitted during the time period from November 24 through November 30th, 2017. Trading closes November 30, at 0800, local domicile time.  Submitted trade requests will be awarded in seniority order. 

Note: The seniority trade screen will not be available via CCS until the remaining vacation allocations have been posted.

Locating the Open Trade by Seniority window:

• Login to CCS 
• Go to the Bidding tab  
• Click on myVacation in the drop-down menu.
• Next, view the "Scheduled Vacation" section.
• Click on the dropdown arrow
• Click on the period you want to trade.
• Then, select "OT Trade by Sen" to begin the process. This will generate the "Open Time Trade by Seniority" page, where vacation trade preferences are entered. For details on how to enter your trade request, follow the step-by-step instructions in the Flight Attendant Modification Guide (pg 5-6). 

Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant Trades: 

Once Open Time Trades by Seniority are awarded and posted, Flight Attendants have the option to trade awarded vacation periods with another Flight Attendant under the following circumstances:

1.     Flight Attendants must be in the same base

2.     The requested trade may not overlap any existing vacation period.

• Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant mutual trades may begin as soon as vacations are allocated. The process is manual and will be completed monthly. Note:  An electronic bulletin board on CCS will  provide Flight Attendants wishing to publish requests for vacation trades with the ability to advertise and learn about vacation trade opportunities.
• Requests must be submitted by the 15th of the month, and before the earliest calendar months preceding the trade.
• Vacation trade requests must be submitted by both participating Flight Attendants.

Electronic Bulletin Board (eBB) 

A new provision for the 2018 vacation trade process is the Electronic Bulletin Board, available via CCS. Flight Attendants currently have access to the (eBB) and its features when advertising for Flight Attendant-to-Flight Attendant trades. To access the eBB, login to CCS.  Go to the Schedule tab and click on the Electronic Bulletin Board, in the dropdown menu. From here you should be able to access the eBB where you will need to click on Vacation Trades from the menu options.

Flight Attendants utilizing the eBB: 

• Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant Vacation Trade Advertisements
• All Pre-merger workgroups will be able to search for advertisements in any base
• Respond to advertisements 
• Withdraw advertisements previously posted on the eBB 
• Accept responses from advertisements 
• View your advertisement history (advertisements will be stored up to 120 days after closure or expiration) 

NOTE: Advertisements in the eBB will not automatically create vacation trade requests. This is only an advertisement. Once you have agreed to a trade with another Flight Attendant, you must both comply with the established process of submitting your requests formally in the Vacation Trade Request area on CCS. 

Additional information with step-by-step instructions can be found in the Electronic Bulletin Board Flight Attendant-to-Flight Attendant Trade Guide located on our website. 

IMPORTANT DATES: 

December 4, 2017 – Final Vacation Allocations will be posted on CCS

December 5, 2017 – Instant trading with Open Time is now available.

Instant Trades with Open Time:

On December 5, 2017, instant vacation trades open at 8:00 AM Home Domicile Time (LDT), and will remain open throughout the balance of the 2018 schedule year. In order to trade, submit a vacation trade with open time request. The trade request must be submitted thirty (30) days before the earliest calendar month involved in the trade.

Example: A Flight Attendant has been awarded vacation time from October 7 to October 13. She/he decides to pursue a trade for available open time days, August 12 to August 18.  In order to be considered, this trade for vacation days must be submitted thirty (30) days before the earliest of the calendar months involved in the trade.

Additional information concerning the Vacation Instant Trade with Open Time option, including a step-by-step guide on how to submit a trade on CCS is available in the 2018 Vacation Modification Guide.

Helpful Hints:

Flight Attendants wishing to trade with open time not currently available should continue to check the allocation matrix because the following circumstances can affect the available vacation days.

• Any vacation days awarded, that are vacated at a later date (eg. separation from company, retirement, etc.)  will be added to the allocations. 
• If a Flight Attendant trades down to fewer vacation days with another Flight Attendant or for open vacation days, any surplus of unused days will be added to the allocations for use by another Flight Attendant.

Additional vacation trade information is available on our website, unitedafa.org or by accessing the following vacation guides:

Vacation Booklet 3 – Vacation Monthly Options
2018 Vacation Modification Guide
Electronic Bulletin Board – Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant Vacation Trades