Originally Posted by
SkyKing
Just got an offer from CHQ on the 145 and have a few questions for the crowd.
1. What will be an easy commute out of DCA? I was thinking LGA or IND won't be so bad.
2. How junior these bases go?
3. Are the lines there commutable for a junior guy?
4. How long is reserve for those bases?
5. What do crashpads in the area go for?
6. Can one get an employee parking permit for DCA if working for CHQ? or do they have some sort of parking reimbursement policy?
Thanks for any info,
SK
1. Depends on where your going, time of year, etc. etc. I've never had a problem getting in and out of DCA, but I don't go there that often. From there you should be able to get to almost any base with just one leg so I'd go for the most junior base. That would not be LGA. Also, you really increase your chances if you're willing to use IAD or BWI.
2. As far as bases go; STL, CMH, BUF, and CVG are the most "junior". I would shoot for one of those.
3. The lines in CVG are very commutable but they suck. The best base in the system for commuters is STL. Commutable on both sides with a high Avg. Daily Credit. Those guys get the most days off out of any base and usually only spring for 1-2 hotels a month. It's also very junior although that could change as I know people are trying to get back in there to increase their QOL. Any place else and it's kinda of a crapshoot. I've been here over a year and have seen only one month of trips that were commutable on both ends (May 2007) in CMH. This month none of my trips are commutable on either side.
4. Depends on the base. The ones I mentioned above have a pretty short reserve time, I'm guessing at less than 3 months. I know several people that hold lines right outta training. If you're going to commute on reserve, a crashpad is a must (obviously).
5. I couldn't tell ya about crashpads in all areas. I use a hotel. But if you go to
www.republicpilots.org on the public section has an entire board dedicated to crashpad/apartment info. You can try looking around in there to get an idea of what's going on.
6. You should be able to go to the DCA parking office and inquire about a "Non-Based Employee Parking Pass" or something to that nature. Most airports have them. At CHQ they will reimburse you up to the cost of your parking pass in base. For example, in CMH it's $25 a month for a parking pass and in Orlando it's $34 a month. That means I pay $9 a month to park in MCO as opposed to CMH. This is a wash though if you have a crashpad car since you'll need that in-base parking pass anyways.
Good luck and welcome aboard.