Avoiding commuting hell

[rigger]

As a newbie just hired on to a Regional, I would like to hear from the old commuting dogs out there as to the do’s and don’ts while trying to live a family life, sit reserve, then hold a line while commuting.



I know first advice is don’t do it! But it’s not an option at the moment, and I know I’ll need all the help I can get. So please chime in no tidbit is too small!





Thanks!

 

[210FR8DOG]

good luck

there's really no great secret. get the website of whatever airline you'll be commuting on and figure out where to find loads(available seats) keep close tabs on this. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to get to work your first year. People get fired for not making the commute to work. It usually takes more than once or there may be another reason combined with that for them to get rid of you but still, why take the chance. always have a plan B and usually a plan C. watch out for hollidays and when school first gets out in the spring, spring break, special events like Oklahoma City people all flying to Florida for the Orange Bowl(where they got spanked!!!), you get the idea. Mine is a two legger on Eagle then AA mainline and believe me, I want to move to my base in STL but for family reasons, for now, I can't. It's been very stressful and I have spent my entire 2 days off at the crashpad because all flights were sold out when school got out last May. reserve will be terrible because it's set hours and usually a majority of the day so you must commute the day before or after. Lineholders have it slightly better because at least some trips will be commutable on the front or back side and every once in a blue moon on both ends. I have driven the leg I normally fly on Eagle a few times. It's only 2 hours but thats not the problem. The problem is paying for gas and parking, roughly $50 bucks for each trip. This is a huge chunk of change for a first year FO. Good luck.

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,


First, if you can, live in base your first year. You will reduce the stress factor almost entirely.

If you can't do that, these tips can reduce the commute stress level to an order of magnitude.

1) Stick to commuting on your own airline, or your mainline partner (if applicable)

2) Try to avoid commutes of more than one leg

3) Try to avoid crossing more than one time zone

If you can't avoid these, keep these tips in mind:

1) Never leave the gate area until the aircraft pushes back

2) If your airline is CASS approved, stick to other CASS airlines

3) Never turn down a seat going in your direction. When irregular ops/wxs hits, you want to circumnavigate the crowds.

4) Buy and keep a copy of the OAG with you

5) Keep an eye on the weather

Good luck!
Nu

 

[upndsky]

Let me add:

1) Have an understanding spouse/friend, especially while you're on reserve when you have min days off and you're spending those getting to and from work. Once you hold a line, life gets better.

2) Be prepared for the possibility of sometimes spending your off days in base, if it looks like weather is going to make travel iffy. (This is where the understanding spouse/friend is very important).

3) If necessary, be prepared to drive if you can/have to. I live 9 hours from base and have done this once. The forecast for EWR didn't look good for the next day and I didn't want to risk having my flights cancelled or delayed. I used the opportunity to carry some extra crap to my crashpad.

4) When you're home, make sure you take care of your understanding spouse/friend. If you both survive the first year, you'll probably be golden for the rest of your lives. If there's constant friction because you're never home, you both may have to do some reassessing.

There are advantages to living in base, but I love where I live and have no desire to move. I've decided that commuting is a worthy tradeoff. Also, a friend and long-time airline pilot told me, "Live where you want, and work where you have to." Think of all the Delta/ASA crews who thought they had it made in DFW. This is even more critical in the regional airline business, where you could switch bases as your mainline partner changes.