An issue with regional reserve in NYC is that it circumvents the intent of FAR 117. So does commuting in general and that's something we all know but no one wants to address (more so change).

I commuted in one morning to JFK on a 6am flight with someone going to Paris at 6pm. Well rested? Sleeping in the crew lounge is inconsistent with the concept of "rest." Even a crashpad is not going to provide a true rest experience as specified by the reg.

So what's the fix? If the crew rate for a pilot on reserve was the same rate the company paid for overnights ($26 I've been told in some locations), the equation changes. Pilots won't spring for a room at $149 but $26? What's the sweet spot? Getting a room would certainly provide a more restful experience than commuting day of or crew lounge crashing would it not? I'm looking at quite a few fatigued reserve crew members (pilots and FAs) and thinking for those folks 117 has done nothing.