It takes a long time to get off reserve in OAK due to the contract requiring new hires to have a hard line in the first month after completing IOE. With OAK tending to be the least desired base (geographically speaking) new hires flow in for their "hard line" month then flow out the following month as soon as vacancies open up in other bases. They are replaced by another round of new hires who get a hard line and the cycle repeats itself until enough NorCal and Pacific Northwest commuters stick around the bottom of the FO list. This monthly flush of new hires in and out effectively bumps the seniority of the reserve lines upward.

One good deal is that to spread the wealth of IOE trips among check airmen, new hires can put in a preference for a base to fly their IOE and will have trips put on their schedule to round out the rest of the month in the same domicile. So an east coast commuter awarded OAK could spend the greater part of their first month in BWI before having to head off to the west coast, spend the next month with a hard line in OAK, then wind up on reserve in DEN/MDW in their third month!