CactusCrew

Not quite Glamis ...

I prefer dirt (actually clay) to sand when it comes to methanol injected toys.

Sand is for beaches and surfboards ! And I like both of them too !!!


Later, CC

av1atrx

Since the original poster left this kinda open, I'm going to respond, too.

I am a commuter with a good commuter policy. I have commuted for two years - the first year to a base not that far away with lots of flights, and the second year to a base very far away with few flights. BOTH SUCK. I am not home enough for me and my family. Some people deal with that fine, I do not. Consequently, I am hopefully changing companies soon to be based at home. Moving was not an option for us, so I had to make the change. I will lose all my accrued seniority (not that it was much) and start over again with pay. But all that is worth being based at home.

My husband and I both thought we would be ok with me commuting, so we tried it. Then we found out we didn't like it. My point is that sometimes you can't know until you try it out.

(Forgot this part the first time)
Commuting is becoming more and more difficult as loads are reaching record highs. I am vying for the jumpseat more and more, and getting fewer and fewer seats in the back. I know quite a few pilots who are quitting simply because they can't get to work anymore. That would be a huge factor in whether or not you commute. For example, I know quite a few people who live in St. Louis and commute to DFW. That is one of the worst commutes I've ever seen. There are SO many pilots commuting between those cities that a new-hire somewhere will almost never get a jumpseat. LAX is just as bad, from anywhere.

Just another point to consider.

SF3guy

Wow, I second that setiment. It is important to have a spouse who is understanding about your job since its not your typical 9-5. Commuting is sometimes a necessary evil that comes with the territory. Living in base is awesome, but commuting isn't always bad either. Its what both of you make of it.

timman19

I am based at EWR and live in Northern NJ. I like it even with the higher living expenses. I thought about commuting but I am stuck as my wife has two sons from her first marriage and, by law, must live within a certain radius of her ex.

G2TT

People always talk about the time they lose while commuting, this is true, you use up some time off traveling. The time lost traveling is worth it to me so I can be where I actually want to be on my days off. I tried living in random bases as assigned by the airlines and was miserable.

DitchDog

Living at home watching my father commute when I was younger, and now being a commuter myself, I don't believe it's worth it. Especially if your junior. (see earlier posts)

Living in base consider:

-an extra day per week at home.
-option to fly locals and be home EVERY night.
-no stress about overbooked flights when your trying to get to work (or home)-this applies to "no-policy" airlines.
-You can pick up Standups and be home durring the day.
-much less to pack for a trip.

Im sure there is more....but I cant think of them right now. But to me it's just not worth it. As stated earlier, with airlines overbooking, canceling, and having to fight for a seat with other commuters, it's a pain. I cant wait till I'm done with it.

SharkyBN584

Commuting is a great way to lose out on your days off, be miserable and stressed, and start to resent your job every time you have to go to/from work.

Big Foot

my two cents worth. Make sure that there is an early flight as well as a late flight. My commute has a 6am there and a 11pm home. My last commute the latest was 7pm. Missed that almost every night. If you have the commuter policy don't stress yourself out. Try your best and it is in the contract for a reason. All the post about the good wife is right on. First if she is clingy what is she doing married to an airline pilot. The nice thing about being a pilot is being able to live where you want to. If the airlines made people live in base there would be no pilots.

rickair7777

My commuting experience has been OK...

1st commute: Transcon, 3x daily nonstops on mainline airbuses (2 jumpseats). I'd only come home if I had 3-4 days off, but this was a temporary arrangement until I could bid back to the other side. The flight itself was grueling, but it was one leg and there was not a lot of stress as to whether I would get to work (6 daily jumpseats).

All my other commutes have been one leg, less than 3 hours, plenty of daily company and mainline iron, plus SWA or other carrier non-stops. I bid afternoon shows, get up for the early flight, then find stuff to do in domicile for a few hours. I have a car, crash pad, and recreational gear. Conveniently there is a late flight home every day, and I almost always return in time to catch it, so I rarely overnight or commute on my days off.

Commuting is not too bad if you have:

Less than 3-4 hour flight.

Multiple daily non-stops on company or mainline.

Another carrier with backup flights (hopefully non-stop).

Can bid late shows so you can come in the same day.

Can bid 4+ day trips so you get per diem and a hotel the whole time.

Also the number of other commuting pilots who are senior to you or have priority (mainline) is a factor, but this is hard to determine except by trial and error.

ANPBird

I loose at least a day off commuting back and forth to work every week or so and cut my days off at home in half. Commuting is hard and is not for everyone! I make sure I know ALL of my options before I leave the house and always check the wx. I can commute through 5 different hubs and the one with the best weather wins for the day to hopefully avoid delays and cancellations. (Iowa to California commute, 2-3 legs on a good day!) 6 more months to go before I transfer to ORD and the 2 1/2 hour drive to Chicago will seem like a breeze! Can't wait!