Montana commuters
10-12-2023, 03:43 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jun 2017
Position: RW instructor pilot and Maintenance test pilot
Posts: 177
Montana commuters
Hello all. I'm a new hire with a class date next month (November). I dont care what I fly or what base I'm in. The plan was, choose the aircraft and base that would allow me to build seniority the fastest. Upgrade life baby. I'm moving to Montana at the end of the year and this will be my first time commuting (I'm new to that part of the industry). Wondering if there's anyone else in Montana doing it already that would be willing to chat.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
10-12-2023, 03:57 PM
#2
Banned
Joined APC: Mar 2023
Posts: 42
Hello all. I'm a new hire with a class date next month (November). I dont care what I fly or what base I'm in. The plan was, choose the aircraft and base that would allow me to build seniority the fastest. Upgrade life baby. I'm moving to Montana at the end of the year and this will be my first time commuting (I'm new to that part of the industry). Wondering if there's anyone else in Montana doing it already that would be willing to chat.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
That sounds absolutely terrible. Do not recommend. Flight frequency out of any Montana airport is going to be low and American doesn’t really have the biggest presence there. You’re going to absolutely hate your life if you do this. Commuting to any AA base out of BZN, GTF, or FCA basically means you’ll never be home because there’s only 1 or 2 flights day and if it’s on another airline you could get bumped from a jumpseat from competing commuters. There’s really too many reasons to count why I would not do this.
10-12-2023, 04:01 PM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jun 2017
Position: RW instructor pilot and Maintenance test pilot
Posts: 177
Well, that sucks. Because there isn't a version of this story where I don't end up there. Spent my life being told where I'll live. This year I've been averaging 37 day trips with 10 days home this year (self inflicted). So while it may suck, I bet it'll suck less than that. But hopefully someone here has real world experience in this exact situation.
10-12-2023, 04:14 PM
#4
Banned
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: Pilot
Posts: 2,625
Hello all. I'm a new hire with a class date next month (November). I dont care what I fly or what base I'm in. The plan was, choose the aircraft and base that would allow me to build seniority the fastest. Upgrade life baby. I'm moving to Montana at the end of the year and this will be my first time commuting (I'm new to that part of the industry). Wondering if there's anyone else in Montana doing it already that would be willing to chat.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
10-12-2023, 04:14 PM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2021
Posts: 412
Well, that sucks. Because there isn't a version of this story where I don't end up there. Spent my life being told where I'll live. This year I've been averaging 37 day trips with 10 days home this year (self inflicted). So while it may suck, I bet it'll suck less than that. But hopefully someone here has real world experience in this exact situation.
All (sorta) kidding aside, be prepared to have 1-2 flights in/out of a city and mostly 2 leg commuting. Plan on having to commute the day before a trip almost every time, and not getting home until a day after your trip ends. If you don't mind that, it might work.
Suggestion...try to get as many 5 day trips and group them as closely together as possible. You may be gone 12 days at a time for (2) 5 day trips worth a combined 58 hours, but you will then have a week or so at home.
10-12-2023, 04:24 PM
#6
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jun 2017
Position: RW instructor pilot and Maintenance test pilot
Posts: 177
You can live there if you want to. No one is telling you that you can't. Just might want to find a different career. Haha
Suggestion...try to get as many 5 day trips and group them as closely together as possible. You may be gone 12 days at a time for (2) 5 day trips worth a combined 58 hours, but you will then have a week or so at home.
Suggestion...try to get as many 5 day trips and group them as closely together as possible. You may be gone 12 days at a time for (2) 5 day trips worth a combined 58 hours, but you will then have a week or so at home.
10-12-2023, 04:32 PM
#7
Line Holder
Joined APC: Apr 2023
Posts: 67
Hello all. I'm a new hire with a class date next month (November). I dont care what I fly or what base I'm in. The plan was, choose the aircraft and base that would allow me to build seniority the fastest. Upgrade life baby. I'm moving to Montana at the end of the year and this will be my first time commuting (I'm new to that part of the industry). Wondering if there's anyone else in Montana doing it already that would be willing to chat.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
10-12-2023, 04:52 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Sep 2022
Posts: 856
The advice to apply to ua and dl is spot on
There’s nothing particularly unique about commuting from xyz airport. There are things that make commuting easier and things that make commuting harder and they are basically flight frequency. No one is telling you where to live or that you have to be in Chicago. But it would be difficult to design a much harder commute than what you describe. Listen to the people who it isn’t their first time commuting.
There’s nothing particularly unique about commuting from xyz airport. There are things that make commuting easier and things that make commuting harder and they are basically flight frequency. No one is telling you where to live or that you have to be in Chicago. But it would be difficult to design a much harder commute than what you describe. Listen to the people who it isn’t their first time commuting.
10-12-2023, 04:56 PM
#9
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2021
Posts: 83
Hello all. I'm a new hire with a class date next month (November). I dont care what I fly or what base I'm in. The plan was, choose the aircraft and base that would allow me to build seniority the fastest. Upgrade life baby. I'm moving to Montana at the end of the year and this will be my first time commuting (I'm new to that part of the industry). Wondering if there's anyone else in Montana doing it already that would be willing to chat.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
We haven't picked out the location but we're trying to put ourselves within 2 hours of the busier airports available on the west side of the state. Again, thanks in advance.
Missoula don’t seem to hate it. Salt Lake shouldn’t take too long to get and once you’re a line holder it’s pretty easy to get 17-19 days off a month. However you still will be dealing with low frequency and some flights will be on regional carriers. Montana’s cool but American would probably be my last choice if I lived there.
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