Almost everyone commutes. Since the based change so often it is difficult to be in base. That said some have lucked out and already live in a base, for now, others are homeless and just rent an apt at each base. The are no home base. Schedules are difficult to say. We all put in our requested days off and they build you a schedule. Not really seniority based mostly just what the company needs and definitively not out at any reasonable time. My April schedule came out on the 12th of April and only shows till the 18th. There is no way to plan anything. However, you do usually get most of the days off you want but you may not know you have them off until you are already off. If you do not say anything they will just leave you out on the line until you do. A lot of pilots work at least 20 days a month but they choose to. The pay is so low that the only way to make money is to work more. Not a bad strategy by management. There is no reserve lines every body has reserve it is built into your schedule. Fly one day reserve the next fly another. something like that. As far as upgrades go. It is whatever the company needs. This last round there was a lot of street captains since so many left. last time. If you have a 737 type already it dramatically increases your chance of upgrade. Upgrades are completely out of seniority as they will pick whomever they think is a better fit. They drool over flight hrs and especially if you came from another carrier. Its about 50/50 on how well the street guys do. even those who already have flown the 737 do poorly. It isn't the flying it is the copious amount of paper work that is associated. Pilots are responsible for everything except filing a flight plan. Catering, fuel, parking, loading, deicing, anything you can think of the captain does and can be potentially violated for by an over anxious FAA POI. some guys will not upgrade for fear of getting violated. Its not for everyone but pays the bills for now.