When it comes to taking vacation I always thought about maximizing my time in regards to my trip to Africa. My planned trip is from December 8th until December 22nd where I was planning on taking Monday, December 23rd off. The Boeing holiday starts on December 24th and goes until January 1st the following year. Basically when I planned this trip I would be gone from Saturday, December 7th until Thursday, January 2nd.
I submitted my request for vacation on Wednesday, January 23rd after I had spoken to my manager for over a week on my planned trip to Africa during the winter and I was waiting for Alpine Ascents to post the dates. Well today is Monday February 4th and though it doesn't seem that big of a deal to anyone else that my manager hasn't approved my vacation for December it is a big deal to me.
The moment I told others that I was planning on taking vacation during the winter break they started submitting their own requests. The winter time is convented around my work and if you are able to bump your vacation next to a major holiday who wouldn't? So I was concerned that their requests would end up getting approved before mine even though I put in my vacation request first.
Another thing that worried me is the cost of a plane ticket. Sure it is early to be thinking about that but right now the prices for tickets are only $1,800 if I want to only have one stop with a two hour layover (meaning I leave Saturday and arrive Sunday) verses having well over 20 hours in layovers (leaving Saturday and arriving on Monday or Tuesday). The longer that I wait the higher the ticket price is going to be... at least that is my thought process. I know that many people wait but I don't want to lose out on that flight to and from Africa where I don't have to deal with a huge layover!
Today I went and spoke to my manager. I made the problem about him instead of myself. I asked him what his concerns were about me leaving during the winter. Of course his concern was the fact that I was going to be gone for so long and he wasn't sure if the upper level managers wouldn't come back and veto his approval. I appreciate his concern but he has been sitting on my request for almost two weeks and I spoke about this vacation well into last year.
I explained to him my concern on plane tickets and how historical trends say that the prices are going to go up from here. After realizing my dilemma he stood up from his desk and spoke to upper level management. He didn't tell me what the response was until I went into his office this afternoon and asked him.
Management had told him it was fine.
He approved my vacation...
I am one step closer to my trip to Africa!
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