Off Days/Sick Days

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Hey!
Do you guys know how many “vacation” days a pilot can request yearly and how sick days work. Like what if you have a flight one day from ATL to BNA but you woke up feeling very ill and sick. Would you still be responsible to take the flight or could you call in sick without getting in trouble?
Thanks, Androu

2

Androu,

Vacation days vary by airline but you usually start with a week and then build up more to a max of usually 4 as you gain seniority.

As for sick days you accrue hours in your “sick bank” and when you call in sick the money comes out of the bank. Most airlines don’t have a limit to how many times you can call in sick but a) if your bank is empty you don’t get paid, and b) if it’s excessive you will get called into the chief pilot’s office for a conversation. Regardless if you’re sick, no matter where you are, you shouldn’t be flying or infecting others.

Adam

3

Androu,

Vacation days are defined by your contract and generally increase with years of service. I believe my airline starts at two weeks of vacation, increasing up to five weeks. These weeks are bid in advance, using the seniority system. As for sick time, we generally accrue one day of sick time per month. If you are sick, you absolutely should not fly and neither the company, nor the FAA, would expect you to.

Chris

4

Good explanation Adam. Couple questions based on your answers.

  1. Are there limits to the “sick bank”, and if so is it basically use or lose after a certain point or can we “cash out” or sell our sick days without actually taking the sick days, basically like a bonus.

  2. If we cannot cash out or for those of us who, luckily, rarely get sick and have either amassed a ridiculously high amount in the “sick bank” or reached it’s limit and wouldn’t feasibly use it without a catastrophic injury or illness, is it socially acceptable / frowned upon to call in sick even if you aren’t?

Thanks,
Sam

5

Sam,

Great questions,

  1. Really depends on the airline. Some will allow you to cash out when you retire. Others will not. I’m not aware of any, but some airlines may have caps?

  2. Again (and I hate to be vague) but it depends on the carrier. My airline has a very liberal sick policy and if you’ve got the time you can use it. Since we don’t allow pilots to cash out there are many senior pilots who basically call in sick for the last 6mos+ of their careers just burning it up. Personally I like having and keeping the bank fat. I too fortunately take pretty good care of myself and rarely get sick but this past January I needed shoulder surgery. Disability insurance takes a while to file and kick in and also only pays a percentage. Because I had so much sick time I simply called in sick for 3mos and got full pay. Super easy and I still have plenty in the bank.

Adam

2 Likes
6

Great response and examples, thanks.