Married and Commuting

[Saabslime]

Commuting almost cost me my marriage at one point. Did it for three years and I'll NEVER do it again. Life is much more enjoyable without the stress of wondering if you'll be able to make it to work on time. Then spending that 4 day trip praying that you won't have a mechanical or weather that will get you in too late to make that last flight home. And thats if you're lucky enough to have a trip with the possibility of making it home the same day. If you have kids, it will only be a matter of time before you have a resentfull spouse on your hands. Think twice before commiting to the commuting life-style. Just my .02 from someone who's done it before.

 

[Cosmo1999]

Anyone married and commute like to shart their thoughts? good or bad?

I hated commuting and will never do it again. I live where im based and thats that. If the base ever closes I will either move or find something else. Commuting can get expensive with crashpad or hotel fees every month. Plus you spend way too much time checking loads. Over the summer and holidays you are always sweating it out getting to work. The flights are a lot fuller than they used to be. unfortunately sometimes circumstances require commuting. Most people dont have the option to commute like we do and have to move whenever they get transfered. Somehow they still find a way to make it work. The best thing to do is make it work so you can live where you are based.

 

[paid4training]

Everyone knows what AIDS stands for....

A irline
I nduced
D ivorce
S yndrom

 

[Guitar Guy]

I highly recommend not commuting if it all possible. Commuting adds extra expense, stress and time away from home. Although the choice is yours, of all the people that I know that have gone from commuting to not commuting, I've never heard anyone say, "My life was so much better when I was commuting."

As a former chief pilot at Americans once told a group of new-hire pilots, "I've never met a happy commuter".

 

[CaravanMan]

Good thread! I've been tossing the idea around about going for an airline job for a while now. Commuting had been a thought because we wouldn't be able to move to a base; wife makes decent money at her job, and we've gotten too comfortable with my salary. I'm glad you all have posted your thoughts; it's helping me with my own.

 

[PalmettoPilot]

Another important factor is the city you are trying to commute from. How many flights per day going to your base? How many legs to the base? Could you drive it if you had to? How many other commuters in the base?

Those are all good questions to ask before you make a decision. Another factor would be does your airline overnight at your home airport? Bid those lines and you're effectively home for the overnight.

 

[Captain Overs]

It has nothing to do with commuting. If you have a good marriage and wife it won't matter. I think the reason the divorce rate is so high is because people marry people who don't deal very well with the job and all it entails.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Another important factor is the city you are trying to commute from. How many flights per day going to your base? How many legs to the base? Could you drive it if you had to? How many other commuters in the base?

And there's also the question of time of year and if any of the cities are popular with vacationers, etc...

 

[densoo]

married and commute

oxymoron

Greek 'sharply dull' or 'pointedly foolish'

Figure of speech involving the combination of two or more words that are normally opposites, in order to startle.

http://www.highbeam.com/ref/doc0.asp?DOCID=1P1:100164544&num=3&ctrlInfo=Round9l%3AProdCtrl%3AREFSR%3AResult

 

[DoinTime]

Its interesting to see all the negative perspectives on commuting (and I share every one of them). Realistically speaking though a very strong majority of pilots commute. Why is that?