The holidays are the busiest time to fly and the hardest time to get off. Here's a step-by-step plan to get the days that matter most to you.
The holiday season is the busiest stretch of the year for airlines, which makes it the hardest time for crew members to get days off. Everyone wants Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas morning or New Year's Eve with their family, and there are only so many of those days to go around. If you're not senior enough to hold them, you're not out of luck. You just need a plan. Here's a game plan for holiday trading that actually works.
Trying to get every holiday off is usually a losing battle. Before you start, decide which one or two days matter most. Is it Thanksgiving Day, or the night before? Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Being specific helps you focus your trading and gives you something to offer in return. You may find that working Thanksgiving is fine if you get Christmas, or the other way around.
The biggest mistake people make is waiting until December. By then, most of the easy trades are done. As soon as your schedule for the holiday period is set, look at it and start working on your trades right away. The people who get what they want are almost always the ones who started first.
Holiday trades work best when both people win. Think about what you can give in return:
A clear post gets answers. Include the date, the start and end time, and exactly what you're looking for in return. "Need Thanksgiving off, will take your Dec 30 or any weekend in December" is far more likely to get a reply than "anyone want to trade?" If you don't need anything back, say so. Giveaways move fastest.
A "yes" in a group chat isn't a trade. Until the change goes through your airline's own scheduling system and is approved if required, the shift is still yours. Holiday periods can have extra rules or blackout days, so check what applies to your work group. After the trade goes through, look at your schedule to be sure it's right. Our Trading 101 guide explains how to make trades official.
Holiday trading is built on trust. If you agree to a trade, honor it. Show up for the shift you took. Remember who helped you this year, because next year you may need them again, and they may need you. People with a reputation for being reliable get more yeses every season.
Sometimes it just doesn't work out. If you end up working the holiday, try to make it a good day anyway: many crews bring food to share, and working with people you like makes a big difference. Plan your celebration for a nearby day off. And remember that seniority moves; every year you get a little closer to holding the holidays yourself.
In TakeMyShift, your holiday trade post goes straight to everyone in your same position at your base, and anyone with text alerts on hears about it right away. When someone picks it up, a private chat opens so you can confirm the details. It's free. Read the app guide.
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