Slim11

Recommend ORD before STL. There's greater frequency between ORD and IAH (don't know about HOU.) and, if necessary, going through DFW is a possibility.

BeefJerky

Thank you. Generally speaking as far as commuting goes is ORD-IAH fairly doable or easy? Or just the best of worst if I were to go to TSA?

Hou757

IAH to ORD is a horrible commute.

BeefJerky

Thanks for the heads up. Will definitely take into account.

Riverside

You should ask the TSA hater (hou757) why it is a bad/terrible commute.

Hou757

Because many of us do it at XJT. Also many CAL/UAL commuters.

BeefJerky

Whats your take on the commute?

Riverside

I commute to STL because I can hold a line as a captain. I hate commuting, so if you can by all means don't do it. But like hou757 said there are other airlines with a ord base. So going from one major airline hub to another hub can be tricky. But then again ewr to iah had 5 people on the flight on a Boeing 737.

Coneydog

Lol...I'm sure they did. Also probably told you about XJT stellar on-time performance and how your're the elite of all regionals...blah blah blah. I don't know how, but we are staffing thus far. Time will tell if this new TA gets people in class.

Case I

I has been my experience that flight frequency is only 1/2 the equation. I transfered from STL to ORD b/c there are 2x more flts to DEN where I live, but there are 4x more people trying to non-rev btw DEN-ORD. IMHO, the commute to STL was easier, even though there are fewer flights. I've been on a few 6am Frontier flights to ORD and there were literally 20 people in uniform going to work. I don't know what the DEN-IAH/HOU non-rev scene is like... but regardless, plan ONE LEG ONLY. I went to visit friends a few times requiring 2 legs and it SUCKED.

As far as commuting to reserve, you'll hold a line in STL w/in a month or two at most, so you shouldn't have to worry about that much. Out of your 5 line trips per month, usually a bit less than 1/2 the ends are commutable, so figure 6+ nights in STL at hotel/crash pad. Reserve for me was actually better, cuz if u volunteer for airport res, they can only sched u on AM, so you can always get home on last day. Others here haven't enjoyed res as much...

I took me 7 months to hold ORD; then at 8 months, I finally made it to DEN - YMMV.

Rumor is that the American flying out east is more profitable, so the company is staffing that 1st, resulting in slow growth on United side out of DEN. If we get the pilots, DEN might grow like management has been promising.