In The News Today...

Quote: AZDuffman

It is understood pilots do not get to spend the holidays at home. You know that going in. If you are a commercial pilot and expect to get Christmas off then you are too stupid to fly a plane.

I didn't say pilots expect to get Christmas, but that some can. Try to comprehend.

https://www.airlinepilot.life/t/vacation-time-off/2349/3

Quote:

Obviously it varies as with everything. The big ones (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) are always tough and summer when the kids are off can be as well but there's nothing set in stone. The thing as always to remember is to bid what you want because you don't know and should never assume. A lot of junior guys try avoid bidding popular times assuming they'll never get it. Well if you don't even try you never will but you could be pleasantly surprised.

I work in a 24/7 business
We are open Christmas
Regardless
I have Christmas off every year just as many pilots have Christmas off
You gotta be a complete moron and really stupid if you believe all commercial pilots have work Christmas

I worked in a movie theater during high school and college. Had to work a lot of holidays. It was always awful. I would often work doubles on Christmas, the busiest day of the year.

Thank god I chose a career that doesn't deal with the general public and doesn't require me to work weekends or holidays. Never again.

Quote: ams288

I worked in a movie theater during high school and college. Had to work a lot of holidays. It was always awful. I would often work doubles on Christmas, the busiest day of the year.

My dad once told me when he worked in a steel mill the foreman was begging him to pull a double on Christmas. They were that short and you cannot just shut that down, heats come off when they come off. He worked it, I forget how the contract set his pay, IIRC double time.

DOW closed at 24,300, making America
great again. Thanks Obama! (for getting
the hell out)

Pilots don't congregate where most other jobs do. They have very few opportunities to visit in person, especially those competing for similar schedules and leave, because captains, co-pilots, and other flight crew bid their lines separately. Certainly they might have some group email or webboard, but they don't get a lot of lunches or breaks together.

I worked nearly every major holiday every year, because I didn't have kids. If i wasn't scheduled, usually took a shift or two for those who did. The money was great. Usually at least double time, and I was home, so I could still spend part of the day with family. But airports never close voluntarily.

I consulted the AA pilot in the fam
and he said him and the other
pilots are mostly in the dark about
what happened. He has Xmas off, but
he scheduled it months ago. He did
say AA will pay a lot more than 1.5X
if they need pilots for the holidays
on a screw up they themselves made.

Is Santa considered a pilot?

Quote: rxwine

Is Santa considered a pilot?

To the grandkids he is. More important than
their pilot dad..

Quote: rxwine

Not sure how the pilots work out vacation time,

As with most things in the airline industry, seniority counts for a lot.

But please don't try and reason with the self-proclaimed voice of the working man, while it's busy screwing a subset of said working man over.