Commute to hold a line vs. living in base on reserve?

[buxflyr]

Wwyd?

 

[kf4amu]

depends on reserve rules, but probably live in base. Unless you want the flight time.

 

[UnstableAviator]

Commute to an outstation base for a line? No! Early show, late finish, not worth it at all.

Commute to a hub city, worth considering if you're crew planning department doesnt such and actually builds commutable pairings.

However, commuting in theory is always different than the realities of commuting. I say live in base when able, a regional job sucks enough, no need to make it worse.

 

[makersmarc]

Commute to an outstation base for a line? No! Early show, late finish, not worth it at all.

Commute to a hub city, worth considering if you're crew planning department doesnt such and actually builds commutable pairings.

However, commuting in theory is always different than the realities of commuting. I say live in base when able, a regional job sucks enough, no need to make it worse.

^^^What he said.

 

[aussieflyboy]

I think it depends on what ones priorities are. There's a massive QOL boost that comes with living in base. However, you might have 3 kids to feed and might need the extra money, and be willing to sacrifice some QOL to get it. You could easily make 90-100 hours of pay with a line while you might only make 75-80 on reserve

Also, not all commutes are created equal. I live in PVD and commute to ORD, with only 2 nonstop flights a day to get there; the result is a 2 leg commute to and from work half the time. Contrast that with a guy commuting between LGA and ORD who has literally 50 flights per day to/from work and never has to wait more than 1/2 hour for a flight home.

Bottom line - the answer to your question will vary depending on who you ask.

 

[ultrarunner]

Buxflyer is making the assumption of always being able to hold that line. That's a big assumption given what is going to occur in the coming years with respect to contract flying. And while Aussie brings up a good point, the reality is the planes are FULL all the damn time and you're the LAST one to get on typically.

If I were to consider a commute, I'd plan on adding TWO days to every tour. If you're Moses, then maybe just one. Every tour! Do the math on that and see how much you'll be home.

I fly about 30 or so segments a year as sometimes we don't finish a trip at home. So, we'll commute it when necessary, and we do it POSITIVE SPACE, and guess what? It STILL SUCKS!

Live in base man!

 

[DoinTime]

Wwyd?

Depends on how much you like your family.

 

[Northern Lights]

I would much prefer to sit reserve at home versus commuting to a line. I'm currently commuting again, and it is awful! When I was on reserve, I was often able to trade days around to get a weekend or holiday off. Not getting used all of the time was a huge bonus. I would get lots of work done around the house, go for bike rides, run errands, go to church on Sunday all while "working." Even the occasional ready reserve wasn't so bad. Basically get paid to be on break all day while reading the paper and drinking coffee.

Yes, it did have down sides like getting called out on Christmas Eve, or on your birthday, but overall it was much better than commuting.

I'm currently doing a hub to hub commute, which is probably a lot worse than doing outstation to hub. As soon as I can get a vacancy to transfer back home, I will take it!

 

[ASAFOE120]

Reserve @ home!!! I've lived in base and commuted. I'd give anything to sit reserve back at DFW again!!

 

[imacdog]

Life is good when you live in base.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

An OK flying job at home, beats the pants off commuting for a slightly less crappy one.

Learn your reserve rules front and back, most guys don't seem to know them; use them to your advantage, you (or someone) bargained for those rules.

Depending on your airline's staffing and open-time rules, you could do just as well financially at home on reserve than with a line whilst being home more often.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

I'm sitting rsv in IAH with a 1hr drive to work. I was dreading reserve and didn't want to commute to it again. That's why I bypassed upgrade for a bit. That said, under our work rules at xjt living in base being on reserve is not bad! The only reason I'd ever consider commuting to a line is if I needed the money. 75hrs vs 90+ is a big difference in pay. But man I'm home a lot! I love it when they don't call me. My vote, stay put unless you need the extra money.. Adding a commute on top of work when you can drive is insane.

 

[filejw]

From an old timer. Commuting ruins a substantial portion of your family/life time. If you can't move to a base don"t take the job. It ruins lives families and relationships with your kids.......

 

[ASA_DFW]

Stay at home and be on reserve. Your QOL will be soooo much better. Things always get screwed up when you commute (wx, mtc, schedule changes, etc). Just think about all the time and money wasted commuting. It might negate some of the extra money you earn holding a line schedule. At my old airline, I used to commute LGA to DFW. I would waste half a day each way. The days commuting add up. Now I live in base, sit reserve and love it.

 

[ERfly]

I'm sitting rsv in IAH with a 1hr drive to work. I was dreading reserve and didn't want to commute to it again. That's why I bypassed upgrade for a bit. That said, under our work rules at xjt living in base being on reserve is not bad! The only reason I'd ever consider commuting to a line is if I needed the money. 75hrs vs 90+ is a big difference in pay. But man I'm home a lot! I love it when they don't call me. My vote, stay put unless you need the extra money.. Adding a commute on top of work when you can drive is insane.

Can you convince your fellow IAH brethren to do the same instead of chase a line to ORD, make everyone miserable a bump those of us that want to be there way down the list?

 

[booo]

Too many variables to really answer; different companies, different rules, different needs.

At one point company had 60 crews/9 hard lines in base. Reserve was gravy.

Another time, not much later, same company had no reserves in any base. The guys that knew the flaws in the contract and manipulated crew scheduling made out big: They would go 30/7 as fast as possible, get paid for a scheduled day of reserve that they could not fly, pick up open time on scheduled day off at 1.5 rate, making it easier to time out on their next reserve sequence, got paid for 2 days of scheduled reserve, and work for 1.5 rate on their days off a gain. They flew 70 hours a month, billed 100-140 hours (yes 140) They usually wound up with 3-4 days off more than minimum and equal to senior line holders Their goal was to leave the house and not come home till they timed out. Hard to have a "schedule" that meant nothing to the wife, but TT at home made up for it.

Reserve, living in base, beats commuting if you really work at playing the "reserve card".

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Can you convince your fellow IAH brethren to do the same instead of chase a line to ORD, make everyone miserable a bump those of us that want to be there way down the list?

Depends. If they are senior to me I'd rather they stay up in ORD, CLE, EWR.... Gotta love the line chasers.

I've pretty much come to the realization I'll be on reserve in IAH until I move on to another airline. Too many ultra senior never gonna leave guys here.

 

[jws717]

Take the line, then swap for trips in the domocile of your choice.

 

[Baronman]

Stay home.

 

[IBNAV8R]

Depends on reserve policies. Reserve at home beats commuting to a crappy line. An easy commute to a good line beats reserve at home. A crappy commute to a great line is kind of a wash. BUT, bidding reserve at home only to get constantly TDY'd for reserve REALLY SUCKS!!!

 

[labbats]

Reserve at home.

Someone mentioned knowing the reserve rules front and back. That's great advice. Never answer your phone the night before. You just gave them a new show time.

 

[dojetdriver]

Whatever you decide, just remember this; If you decide to commute to the line when you could be sitting at home on reserve, your forfeit ALL bitching rights if the commute sucks, you're having to come in early/go home on a day off, the trips sucks, the lines suck, etc etc etc.

Yeah, I get it, I KNOW. Commuting sucks. I've commuted 12 years to 8 different dimiciles so far due to downgrades, displacements, base closures, and furlough.

I've heard plenty of the line chasers bitch about commuting when they could be home on reserve. And as others have pointed out, if they actually took the time to learn the reserve rules and manipulate the system, they could make just as much, be home more, and NOT have to commute.

 

[dodgerk]

Reserve at home. Been doing it for 4 years and I actually like it enough to intentionally bid reserve.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

In the last two months on reserve if you count days not being called as days off, I've had 16 days off both months. Knowing the contract definitely helps. It's gotten me out of a few assignments and the scheduler just goes "ohhhhhh dang ok have a good night." I've been on call at weddings (sucks because you can't have a drink), birthdays, baseball games, wandering around bass pro.....And I think I'll have more than 16 days off by the end of april. I was "working" the last few days in the yard while on call. Today, I worked out, watched TV went for a swim. To leave this and go commute even if it gave me more days off.... Nah. I commuted as a newhire hub to hub. Not gonna do that again.

And I agree with dojet on the guys who put themselves in a situation then bitch about it. You did it to yourself. But I feel the same way about guys who commute because they won't move to a base..... Poor you, you made that decision as well.

 

[zawillif]

Live in base. Stop the ridiculousness that is 50% of a base commuting. I live in base on reserve and am home 20+ nights a month.

 

[Slim]

If you can commute to your base, hold a line AND drive if necessary, commuting to a base to hold a line may be viable. This is my current situation.

I could stay in my previous base as a senior F/O, but not as a reserve CA. Next month, I go on short call after two months on long call and a short line this month. These past three months have been great. Now, I have to get a crash pad in base...first time in 30+ years.

I have a bid in to return to the right seat in my previous base. Hopefully that will go through before my children have to return to school in the fall.

 

[Ur Dad]

Live in base

 

[TangoRomeo]

I am contemplating the same thing.. Been on reserve in MSP for 3 years and in the mean time have only 1900 hours, where if I would have bid elsewhere I could probably be over 3000 by now. Living in base is nice but when this place (9e) goes down in flames it would be nice to have some more TT to fall back on. Probably won't have a choice soon anyway.

 

[i'mbatman]

Not even a question.......reserve in base.

 

[B727FA]

Always in base. The one option I saw above, the driveable commute for the line. I was losing $400-600/mo for commuting costs into NYC. I figure I'll get about 1/3 of that back commuting to a cheaper base...The base in my hometown isn't open. That would be too easy! Good luck!