If the air line you are trying to commute on is not the one you work for...you are at the bottom of the list behind paying pax and everyone else who works for said air line. At least you would be in reasonable driving distance.
As far as QOL. The seniority pendulum swings on a whim. You could be a 4 month CA like it is happening at DAL or you could be a 15-20 year F/O like DAL of the recent past. Today's snapshot is not a reliable indicator for future opportunities. But right now is a good time to be getting in.