Any Air Traffic Controllers out there?

[Jrpbabe2003]

Hi,
My husband just started working as an ATC at Houston Center (ZHU). How do you deal with booking a trip if you dont know when you will be off until the end of the year? With an 11 month booking window, is November and December the only time we can go? We really want to buy in, but don't want to be restrict to only 2 months a year (we love disney too much).

Any tips/answers would be great!
Thanks!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

There are a couple controllers here. One in Portland Maine, and one in Denver, but I haven't seen them around lately.

MG

 

[Jrpbabe2003]

Ok, Thanks. Really, my question can be for any occupation that bids their vacation at the end of each year(maybe a nurse or pilot?). I just dont know how it works for people like me who like to plan 11 months (and more) before the trip.

 

[Disneycouple99]

We pick our vacation at the end of Jan. for May of that year to May the following year. My wife's has a job in the school district, meaning we can only go June, July, and the first part of Aug. This only gives me about a 5 months before I know for sure what days I get off. We pick be seniority, which more than likley your husband will, and I am at the bottom of 15 guys. We are allowed to have 3 guys off per day. Each guy picks a number of consecutive days, then goes to the next one. I book at 11 months out for when it will be best for us to go. Usually everyone above me picks holidays first. So far we have been lucky but if it comes to it, I will be flexable.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Ok, Thanks. Really, my question can be for any occupation that bids their vacation at the end of each year(maybe a nurse or pilot?). I just dont know how it works for people like me who like to plan 11 months (and more) before the trip.

I'm a pilot and I bid my vacation once a year. Fortunately I'm extremely senior, so I'm assured of my first choice. Unfortunately my second vacation is somewhat of a gamble seeing as though that is awarded after everyones first vacation. I've been lucky so far, but at somepoint I'm sure I'll be reshuffling the second vaca. I keep the second trip more than 7 months from bids being awarded so I don't have to compete with 7 month window bookers. I also hold off on airfare until the bids are awarded.

MG

 

[DBBN]

DW and I both are retired now (since the Summer of 2008) but we were both ATC's at Portland for 25 plus years. DW worked at Boston Center early in her career for a period of time as well.

For us, since we both had to be scheduled off at the same time, staying away from holidays and school vacation weeks worked well most of the time. Generally I made our DVC reservations only after our leave had been approved but from time to time, during high demand times of the year, I reserved our stay before our leave had been approved and hoped for the best. It didn't happen often but sometimes we had no choice but to cancel and rebook for another time period. It did help that our home resort is OWK and it also happens to be our preferred place to stay.

Another strategy we used was to take shorter but more frequent vacations. When we used our regular days off it was generally easy for us to schedule 4 and 5 night stays since planning around our RDO's required we take only 2 or 3 days of leave. Until 9/11 we routinely stayed at OKW 5 or 6 times per year for 4 or 5 nights each stay using our FAM priviliges.

Our sincere thanks to your DH for keeping the sky safe for us while we jet off to our next vacation destination.

 

[DBBN]

Hello Karl.

There are a couple controllers here. One in Portland Maine, and one in Denver, but I haven't seen them around lately.

MG

 

[Jrpbabe2003]

Thanks DBBN. I forgot to factor in his RDO. Going in small segments may help. Right now we actually like NOV/DEC vacations, but you never know once we have kids. I am just want to weigh all the factors before we buy.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Hello Karl.

Hi Dennis. Nice to hear from you again, and congrats on your retirement!!

MG

 

[CDN Prince Charming]

Fellow Air Traffic Controller saying hi from Toronto
Up here, we pick leave in January, for the upcoming April thru March calendar year.
So far we've had pretty good luck making our vacations line up with my leave picks. Whenever the vacation plans don't line up with my leave, there are always other ways of getting the time off

CPC

 

[madcoco]

Pilot here (ex AWA US now) Flew for BEX 80's early 90's. Many a layover at Portland and elsewhere. Congrats on retirement and thanks for keeping us pointed in the right direction all those years! Hello Karl how the .... have you been?
Sorry to stray OT We bid in Nov for following year and book our home resort 11 months out for Memorial Day Week. Have been fortunate through seniority as well over the years. However, like CDN Prince Charming just stated."there are always other ways of getting the time off," if your bid vacation doesn't match.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Pilot here (ex AWA US now) Flew for BEX 80's early 90's. Many a layover at Portland and elsewhere. Congrats on retirement and thanks for keeping us pointed in the right direction all those years! Hello Karl how the .... have you been?
Sorry to stray OT We bid in Nov for following year and book our home resort 11 months out for Memorial Day Week. Have been fortunate through seniority as well over the years. However, like CDN Prince Charming just stated."there are always other ways of getting the time off," if your bid vacation doesn't match.

Hi Mike! Hope all is well with you..

I'm adding this just to keep on topic--
I also have an additional advantage.. We work 7 days on, then 7 days off, so I can always find time for a five day reservation without taking vacation time.

MG