Originally Posted by
unit monster
You're certainly the anomaly. How many days did you work last year? How many nights away? Good on you for having the drive!
On the other hand, you could upgrade (if this was an option) and work 50-100 less hours a month. That's significant. I think you live locally so the commute is irrelevant.
Possibly. As a line holder, yes. As reserve, it depends. If you're not being used, then it would be more time off. But if you're being used, it would be working about the same amount of time.
Originally Posted by
Wynncore
The only way you're able to do this is you are bidding in the top 15% of the 700 flying 4 27+ hour trips then picking up at least one if not two naps per month and/or flying six days in a row (1 4 day trip backed up by a 2 day trip). You're flying a minimum of 18 days if not more. Glad you're able to do it...I'm burnt out flying an average of 98 hours per month on the 200...highest being 113.
I'm bidding in the bottom 25% of line holders in my base. I bid a lot of soft credit, which allows me to pick up other trips. Most of the trips I pick up, are from other crew members and not from the company.
I do average about 12 non-working days per month. But I also live in base. For me, I do quite a bit of day lines (a handful per month) where it has an early report, and I'm done by 1-2 pm. Credit is around 6-7 hours with these, and it's like a normal job being gone from 9-5. My wife is gone working at those times anyways, so why stay home and do nothing when I could make a little bit of extra money for our future?
To each it's their own. I have the drive to bust my ass right now to pay down debt so when we start a family, we won't be as burdened with bills. This will also allow me to spend more time at home with the family. I'll look later at what my flight hours, and my total credit hours were for the entire year last year. Right now, the IT system for previous paychecks is down, so I can't load it up.
Forgot to add one more thing in. I did the math with going to a place like PSA, TSA, etc (wouldn't do it, just did the math) for a quick upgrade. Lets say I upgraded within a year. I may work less, but with trips that that you cannot commute to, you have the risk of needing a hotel on the front and/or backend. If you do have a trip to where you can commute, you also run the risk of not being able to get on, and losing credit then. I'd also lose the ability of picking up day lines. So while the hourly rate would be higher, I'd come out at a close to break even/loss when factor in hotels, crash pads (for reserve), loss of credit, etc. There is also the factor of insurance rates being higher for a family, so while I make more, more goes to cover insurance premiums.