Anxious to buy my tickets...Ugh!
 

Have any of you gone through the little mental anxiety of waiting to buy your airline tickets due to waiting for a work confirmation?

Due to some issues at work, my vacation time was approved, but I will have to re-check to make sure it is ok. Ugh....there has been some upsets lately so things seem a little rocky and it is hard to think about my upcoming trip if there is the possibility of not having a job during that time.

I am so eager to buy my ticket, but I have read on here that I can still get good seats to nyc from sfo even as little as a month or 2 weeks before.

.........

Yes, that can wear on one's nerves, especially if you have an axe hanging over your head.

Let me tell you my latest story. Last July DH and I planned a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. We were set to go, when about 3 weeks ago DH's company was sold and he was put on layoff notice. We seriously considered cancelling the trip. But after a lot of mulling over our options, we decided that life is too short and although it is highly impractial, we're going anyway.

Then just 2 days ago DH was called into a meeting. He was told that because of his continued hard work since the layoff notice, the new owner of the company has decided to keep him on. This was a huge relief on many levels. Among other things, we are really glad we didn't cancel our trip.

I don't know the specifics of your situation, but if there's any way possible I would urge you to take your trip and let the chips fall as they may. Even when DH was on layoff notice, he said the HI trip gave him something to look forward to.

Good luck with your decision.

That definitely would give me an anxiety attack!

At my work, most folks request their vacations at the end of the year. So, I always ask for mine in August or September, well before the crowds. They approve me easily because they aren't really thinking about it.

When my vacation gets closer and they start talking about "we can't do without you right now", I mention that they have already approved it and I already have my tickets, etc, and they're non-refundable, "but if you're willing to reimburse me for the costs, I'd be glad to reschedule (of course, "costs" include the increase in airfare, etc.). I always go on vacation as planned.

Yes! Although I haven't worked in the last five years asking for time off and waiting for it to be approved caused a great deal of anxiety for me when I did. The worst came when my boss knew I was in town and called me in...to this day I can't remember why but I remember sitting at my desk wondering. You're not alone!

Some years badk, DH worked for a French company here in the San Francisco area. His vacation was approved, and we booked our 3 week trip to Mexico.

It was during Desert Storm and this company had supplied missles or something like that, it's late and I have forgotten the name, and DH is sound asleep, that were used by the 'enemy'. Scud maybe or Raytheon, I'm not sure, but whatever they supplied, did a lot of damage and their connection was well publicized. Of course when that became public knowledge, the French company knew that they would no longer be a part of the US defense market.

DH's office was involved in other things, mainly consumer products, but the offices in other U.S. cities, including Washington DC, were attempting to get defense contracts.

Without notice, a big wig came from Paris and within two weeks, the entire office was shut down. DH was told that he couldn't go on vacation because they needed him to close down the computers in the office. He was the Systems Administrator and the only there that could do it properly.

Yea RIGHT ... lay him off with virtually no notice, cancel his vacation, and then 'force' him to aid in their departure. He figured that our vacation was more important and told them so.

It was kind of funny, when his boss kept insisting that his vacation request was denied (two months after the fact) and that he HAD to come to work.

Long story short ... because he was the only one who could take care of the computers, they 'allowed' him to take his paid vacation, and then return to the now bascially vacant office, as a consultant for almost a month, paying him over twice his normal salary!

I think they exected him to sweep the floor and shut off the lights when he finally left :-))

Nina

It amazes me that management can be such assholes when it comes to vacation.

It is a deal breaker for me.

Vacation time makes you a better employee.

I'm getting ready to switch jobs and become a PA for a professional athlete and before salary or any negotiations I laid out my time off. All Federal Holidays and 3 weeks paid per year.

It's funny, you work for years to get that time off, and then they want to yank it away.
My otherwise great boss has a thing about vacations. He gets really squirly when I'm gone. My best bet is to be off while he's off. I did take a full 2 week vacation this year, but I started prepping him about 9 months ahead of time.
He's wouldn't cancell it, but he makes me feel like I'm not on top of things when I get back. I AM on top of things, he's just not in the loop so he freaks.

I always cringe and prepare for that lecture when I get back.

Through no fault of his own, DH has worked for four companies in the last 18 years. It is written into his contacts that he gets his regular paid vacation plus one month of unpaid time. One company said OK, but didn't want him to take his vacation time and his unpaid time consecutively ... no way, that is the purpose of the unpaid time. They relented and it worked out well for 12 years. We take a 5 or 6 week trip once a year, plus longer weekends here and there.

The company was later purchased by UPS, who at first refused to honor those terms ... they also relented. Within two years, they closed the San Francisco offices and moved everyone back to Alfaretta, Georgia. DH was one of the few that stayed here.

We kid DH that he closes large companies ... as this is the third time this has happened. Hopefully his new company will stick around - best job he's had yet.

The new company closes the office for one week at Christmas - so even though DH is too new for a real vacation, as he's only been there for four months, he gets, with the weekends and Christmas and New Years, combined, ten days off in a row. By throwing in a few extra days, we are able to go to Paris for two weeks over the Holidays.

Nina

Sounds like a case of trip cancellation insurance to me! For under $100 you'll save much more nerves then the $$ spent.

A wise woman taught me that it is a waste of psychic energy to fret over that which cannot be changed--in this case confirmation of your departure date.

She would advise putting energy into finding the best possible air fare deal when the informaton needed to book flights is in hand.

Anxiety!

I keep saying to myself. "Those that make you anxious or angry control you."

At least work is just something you do for money. And that (the powers that be)can be difficult jerks to work around, but at least you can leave them for another situation. Family/illness and elderly etc.- can be in dire need for years. I'm just about giving up on making plans that don't get broken. And insurance helps but does not cover it all. I know.

Trip insurance works great - to cover the EXPENSE of a missed or changed trip - but it doesn't even begin to heal the upset when you REALLY need to get away and your hopes (and trip) have been dashed by an uncaring employer.

I agree with the other posters - go for it - book it, pay for it and GO. And have a really terrific time - don't spend ONE iota of your precious trip thinking/worrying about them back at the office.

Thank you, everybody! i have definately made up my mind to travel....now, I will just have to focus on where to travel....

YAY!! Good for you. :-)