You're right, but with the company playing games, it's easier to roll straight into the hub via jumpseat than it is to leave in the early morning on your last day off to make it to CVG for legal rest (with a backup!). Also, there's always the risk of them tacking your $600 flight into your taxable income.
Note: We don't have a commuter policy, so if you don't make it for showtime, it's on you. Which is why, of course, most people just take the ticket and the hassle. But really, it's not like Omni. As I'm sure we've discussed in the past, your trip starts on Day 1, so gateway travel is done on days off for the most part (JFK base tends to be an exception on the 767).
I am JFK 747. I would say 1/2 the time I leave on my last day off, and 1/2 the time I leave the first day of work. Normally I get home one day early. Sometimes I get home 2 days early (or more) and sometimes I get home on my last day of work.
Sometimes there is a backup flight, sometimes there is not. I normally call travel 3-4 days ahead of time and request a specific flight, usually on DAL, and I normally get the flight I want.
I have asked for alternate travel at the end of my trip (Alternate Travel is to be airlined after your trip ends to a location other than your gateway) a few times, and have always gotten the alternate airport that I requested.
We currently have a "Base" AND a "Gateway".
I have been promoting a change in our next contract to Worldwide Gateway Basing (getting rid of our Bases, and making our Base, and our "Tax Home" our Gateway). If we don't get Worldwide Gateway Basing, my second choice would be Domestic Gateway Basing. The reason I am promoting Gateway Basing as opposed to Home Basing is because it is easier and cheaper than Home Basing for the company, so it would be easier to convince them to switch to Gateway Basing, than it would be to convince them to switch to Home Basing. And, Gateway Basing would be a LOT better than what we have now...for one thing: No more imputed income!!!