Originally Posted by THEKERNALKLINK

I think it's a good base, but I was born and raised in this state. Do you want to be a metrosexual city boy? You'll love it. Are you a full blown small town guy like me? It's not very far out and you'll have that lifestyle. I am a farmer, literally, not a pun, big green and yellow tractors and combines, the whole 9 yards. I self funded my growth thanks to the airline industry and all the opportunities it gave me. I'm retired at 52. I net over a mil / yr as a farmer, and I became too old to serve 2 masters, so I had to make a choice.

Seeing how slow I can fly my Supercub has become the greatest thrill I can handle at this point of my life. I do not miss jets at all.

Originally Posted by THEKERNALKLINK

I think it's a good base, but I was born and raised in this state. Do you want to be a metrosexual city boy? You'll love it. Are you a full blown small town guy like me? It's not very far out and you'll have that lifestyle. I am a farmer, literally, not a pun, big green and yellow tractors and combines, the whole 9 yards. I self funded my growth thanks to the airline industry and all the opportunities it gave me. I'm retired at 52. I net over a mil / yr as a farmer, and I became too old to serve 2 masters, so I had to make a choice.

Seeing how slow I can fly my Supercub has become the greatest thrill I can handle at this point of my life. I do not miss jets at all.

Originally Posted by saab2000

I live in base for MDW, in Illinois. I was told I would hate it. I don't. I drive about 35 minutes to work. There are options for living in Indiana (or Wisconsin) if that's your thing but it's not mine. I like Chicago and all it has to offer and I love living in domicile. If you plan to commute from BNA, MSP, STL or MCI expect a stressful commute. The supposed negatives of living in Chicagoland are peanuts compared to commuting, at least for me. Everyone's got to make their own decision as we're all adults, but I've been pleased with my decision to move here. I bought an FO-priced townhouse and expect to live in it until I leave SWA, latest 10 years from now.

I'm glad I made my own decision rather than listen to the folks who dislike the area. They have their reasons and that's fine. Turns out I like it here. It's a pretty good place to live and if you live in the suburbs (I do) the schools are quite good and the municipality is quite nice and functional and I'm only a 45 minute METRA train ride from downtown Chicago when I want city life. Yes, Cook County and the City of Chicago have some issues but overall I've found it to be a pretty good place to be. Obviously, winter is winter and every year I confess to liking it a lot less. I've flown with others who live here and like it was well, so I'm not alone in these sentiments. Some live out in the burbs like I do and some are in the city.

The airport itself is interesting and unfortunately has few (any?) good food options. I know that's the case all over right now but even pre-COVID it wasn't great. Big improvements needed on the food front so take that for what it's worth.

As mentioned, no co-domicile with ORD and it would take a big offer from the company in negotiations to get me to sign on with that. It'd be like adding BUR, LGB, SNA, etc. to the LAX base or SFO and SJC to the OAK base or DCA and IAD to BWI. Ain't happening anytime soon I hope.

Everyone's got to make their own decisions and I made mine and have found life here to be pretty good, contrary to what I was told. Just offering that up as a counterpoint. Any extra taxes I pay are offset by the fact that I'm not spending $700+ monthly on my old commute situation driving in from Michigan and I have at least 3-4 more nights per month at home.

As said above, most SWA trips are pretty similar. AMs or PMs. Seniority dictates what days you'll be able to hold. I generally like 3-day trips because as someone said recently to me on a 4-day, "4-day trips are twice as exhausting as a 3-day, maybe more so." I agree with this. I don't mind working weekends and work AMs exclusively, so I get my top bids usually.

Originally Posted by ak68W

curious as to the specifics of how and why the commute from BNA to MDW is more stressful than others? Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by ak68W

curious as to the specifics of how and why the commute from BNA to MDW is more stressful than others? Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by UnbeatenPath

How would the commute be if the only option to get in in 1 leg is to go to ORD? Is the train ride long or difficult?

Originally Posted by UnbeatenPath

How would the commute be if the only option to get in in 1 leg is to go to ORD? Is the train ride long or difficult?

Originally Posted by Caveman

Blue line, Clark/Lake (:35) stop, change to Orange Line to MDW (:33), plan on 90 minutes from ORD commute gate to MDW lounge, most of the time would work.
It might ease your mind and if you were an FFDO at times.