Originally Posted by
UALinIAH
I'm saying if you make the choice to commute, you live with that choice. Good and bad. That's all. Live where you want and commute, or move close to the domicile for more time at home. I empathize with the lifestyle choice of a commuter, but at the end of the day, it's 100% a choice every time you take any bid outside of the new hire bid. I judge my QOL by the number of nights my truck is in the driveway and I wake up in my own bed. That's the reason I gave up the commute and moved close to a domicile before my kids were in HS so there would be stability unless somehow they close IAH. If that were to happen I'd displace to whatever seat I could hold 50% BES as a commuter and bid up again and move to the new domicile after they graduate. But that's my personal choice based on my experiences.
Long story short, whether they bid it or not, we will always have reserves which compromise 15-20% of our pilot group. Sometimes they are on reserve by choice and sometimes not. Commutes vary from 10 minutes to 2500+ miles. Some aren't afforded the choice to commute and as you well know, bids are not always available.
To say we don't need reserve improvements due to a narrow circumstance is shortsighted at best. We are a union right?