Reserve "can" be good here once you learn how to manipulate things in your favor (if you are local), once you get some seniority built up and are in the top 1/3rd of the reserve list. Bottom to middle reserve or commuting reserve sucks bad though. I mean REALLY bad. The system is horridly skewed to absolutely hammer the bottom half to bottom 2/3 of the reserve list while the top guys do virtually nothing. Bottom 20% is absolutely miserable. This is one of the main problems with our reserve system (or benefits) depending on where you sit on the list.

Personally I will intentionally bid reserve over any of these garbage lines as a relatively senior (for reserve) local Captain. 3 days off between reserve days is better than 2 off with a crap line. My last reserve month I spent only about 7 nights in a hotel and ended up with like 17 days off even when staffing was bad and many days zeroed out with no reserves available. You are Given 11 days off plus the days off I was not called. I flew about 35 hours. Paid the same as a line holder that had way less days off and they were gone away from home WAY more. I could have been home even more but I pick and chose certain daily trips or 2 day trips with late starts and late finishes that protect me from getting something worse and protect me from extensions. (trying to sit home and do nothing can be high risk depending on the day and open time). Looking at the days after the fact, I could have sat home free about 4 more days, but there was a good chance of sitting standby or getting nailed with a crap 4 day trip so I just proffer for something easy to avoid that junk. After day 1 on reserve you can always get 10am or later starts if you want them, or stick with early if there is more people below you that way. Once you learn the game and learn to play defense (and have the seniority to do so effectively) reserve isn't bad at all for a local. Best thing we have right now to be honest. Which is sad. Only a sucker that is a local would intentionally fly a crap line for 72 hours pay and be gone 17-19 days, working 10-12 hour days and be exhausted.

The main thing is if you are a local, junior reserve is quite tolerable, senior reserve is actually desirable. Commuting to reserve you will want to blow your brains out. I will never do that to myself again in my life, it is NOT worth the extremely higher level of stress, lack of sleep, horrible QOL, time away, unpredictability, home/family life destruction. I don't care what the pay is or how nice of an area you live, or if your wife has family there and your kids are in schools just like everyone else's excuses. It IS NOT WORTH IT. You will wreck your home life and be miserable commuting to this reserve. The stories of divorce, cheating, problems at home, fatigue, never seeing kids etc are through the roof lately.