Vacation 2027 Elections - 1st Step

MEC Central Schedule Committee

Between September 25, 2026, and November 29, 2026, there are several stages of the Annual Vacation Process that must be completed by every Flight Attendant. It is imperative to understand how this process works so each Flight Attendant can properly bid for their allotted vacation for the next year. Throughout the next few weeks, your MEC Central Scheduling Committee will be providing communications on each stage of the Vacation bidding process so that you are fully prepared to bid for your vacation.

This can be broken down into three steps: Choose, Bid, and Trade.

The first step is to “choose” with the Annual Vacation Election period, which will be covered in this article.

The Vacation Election period opens at 0800 Home Domicile Time (HDT) on September 25, 2026, and closes at 0800 HDT on October 10, 2026, to provide the full fifteen (15) day period to make elections required under the Contract.

The first step begins with viewing your Vacation Accrual Letter.

Vacation Accrual Letters

Your Vacation Accrual Letter in CCS is personalized to your specific seniority date and your paid activity during the Vacation Accrual Year (September 2025 - August 2026).

In CCS, go to → Vacation→ My Vacation; from here, select

“To view optional election, click here”.

The following information will be displayed:

• Your vacation accrual seniority date as of August 29, 2026
• Your 2027 base vacation accrual determined by your vacation accrual seniority date
• Your paid activity, by each quarter in the 2025-2026 Vacation Accrual Year to be used in determining your vacation accrual for the 2027 Vacation year
• Your 2027 vacation accrual days and hours
• For newly hired Flight Attendants, quarterly paid activity will not be shown

CBA Section 12.A.6.

Newly employed Flight Attendants shall accrue one day of vacation for each full month of continuous employment with the Company during the remainder of the Vacation Accrual Year after the date of their initial employment. If employed prior to the 15th of a calendar month, vacation credit shall be given for the full month. The first vacation shall be given during the following Scheduled Vacation Year.

Once you know the number of days that you have accrued, if you choose to participate in the optional Vacation Election process, select the “Proceed to Vacation Election” button located in the bottom right corner of the accrual letter page.

You may also choose not to make any selections in the Vacation Election process and skip this step.

The Vacation Election screen will appear, and you will be able to make the following selections:

1. Buy Back Vacation Days.                                                                   NOTE: Partially accrued vacation days are not eligible.

2. Defer vacation days to your 401(k) or UK Stakeholder Plan

3. Elect Flex Vacation Days (paid or unpaid)

Vacation Buy Back: Two Possible Programs

Vacation days are “sold” back at a rate of three hours and fifteen minutes (3:15) of pay per day plus an incentive payment, which shall be determined and announced prior to the annual vacation bid.

• Annual Vacation Buy Back: The Company offers a Vacation Buyback option that allows a Flight Attendant to take pay in lieu of accrued vacation. Flight Attendants must opt to “sell” at least six (6) full days of accrued vacation, and partial days are not eligible.
  The rate of pay for Vacation Buy Back is based on your individual rate of pay as of 12/31/26. International Purser and Purser pay overrides are not included in your hourly rate of pay and are not applicable to Vacation Buy Back payments.

• Monthly Vacation Buy Back: In addition, the Company may offer vacation buy back on a month-to-month or base-by-base basis. The Company will determine whether to offer an incentive payment for month-to-month or base-by-base vacation buy back. Vacation buyback will be awarded in base seniority order.
  
  NOTE: Those participating in the Buy Back program may not participate in the Flex program.

Deferred 401(k) Contribution:

A Flight Attendant may elect to contribute a minimum of six (6) and up to the maximum contribution allowed by law, of paid vacation accrued for use in the following Scheduled Vacation Year to their 401(k) Savings Plan account, or equivalent. Contributions shall be treated as employee contributions and are subject to Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(17) limits, or equivalent regulations. 401(k) contributions will be based on the Flight Attendant’s hourly rate of pay as of January 1st of the year in which the contribution is being made.

Flex Vacation Program

Flight Attendants may elect to take an additional seven days of Flex vacation. Flight Attendants taking Flex vacation will either take the additional seven days as unpaid vacation or elect to have one hour and fifty-four minutes (1:54) pay deducted from their earnings each month to pay for the Flex vacation week.

Flight Attendants who opt for unpaid Flex vacation will have their first seven (7) days of the first awarded vacation period designated as Flex.

Flight Attendants who opt for paid Flex vacation will have the last seven (7) days of their last awarded vacation period designated as Flex.

Once you have finished making your choices, select “Submit”. A confirmation page will display showing your 2027 elections.

We recommend keeping a copy for your records.

At any time while the vacation election period is open, you can return to the vacation election page to update your selections. Once the election period closes, you can no longer submit changes.

All details regarding the 2027 Vacation process, including the full Vacation bidding and trading timeline, 2027 Bid Months, 2027 paid holidays and more are found on the Vacation 2027 page of the United AFA website.