first, i will raise the bs flag on your insinuation, that under current line bidding system that most people can get 18-20 days off in a 7 day vacation month. That is only possible if you bid well, dropped some time, and were willing to take a serious pay hit to something less than guarantee. Under those conditions, it might be possible. So, at least make believable statements.
Secondly, after studying the results in that sep award, fairly junior people who understood how to bid, were able to achieve max days off, with what have been paid at guarantee. They could never have achieved that under line bidding. If you want to know how it was done, then put in some effort like they did to learn the software and the strategy. I am quite sure they probably spent time with someone in the crew lounge as well as practiced submitting bids. It's not too deep a mystery to figure it out.
After seeing the good vacation awards that had the maximum time off, and giving some thought to it, anyone that holds a line should be able to accomplish the same award. Really, it's quite simple. However, your iq has to be higher than an idiot savant (25), and you have to get off your lazy, complaining duff and learn the system and how to make it do what you want, so as to make your schedule look like you need it to look.
They figured it out, and after a little time and effort, anyone that wants the same results can do the same. Are you practicing the big catfish method? The big catfish sits in one place below a damn with his big mouth opened waiting for the damn to open to capture his meal. You are parked on fi, complaing about it, in the hopes that someone will spoon feed you, so you don't have to make the effort. I will not spoon feed your complaining, lazy, know-nothing, carcass.
Keep sitting catfish! Your strategy is not much different than the panhandler sitting on the curb, pretending to look for work.
Maximizing vacation works with this pbs. If the desired results are not there, it's not the software, it's the catfish doing the bid!