I would expect reserve in Chicago to be 6 months at a bare minimum. There hasn't been any upgrade vacancies since April, I believe, and until there are more, they really aren't sending anyone to ORD. I haven't found any week to be "typical" on reserve in ORD. I would say in general you probably get used less than you would if you were in DEN. Sometimes you'll go two weeks without getting called, and then the next week or two you'll get used every day. I've learned to not be surprised either way.

You'll certainly fly red eyes on reserve. There are some pairings that include two-leg red eye duty periods and to say that those are challenging for your body would be an understatement.

Overall, I find the work environment to be good. As a general rule, nearly every pilot I've flown with has been very easy to get along with. I've been on property about 6 months and haven't had any serious issues with a hotel, although I haven't even come close to seeing them all.