That's a higher number than I was expecting. I keep hearing that the job is so much better if you live in base, and while I expect that's true, there's a lot more to life than the job.

I suspect it's a great job even if you don't live in base.

I recognize that commuting comes with a significant opportunity cost, and that shouldn't be overlooked. But, at the end of a multi-million dollar career, I suspect many will look back and regret the time spent commuting rather than the money left on the table due to commuting.

That said, I've talked to more than a few SWA pilots where I live and they are able to work their schedule such that they have very few trips that aren't commutable on both ends. In fact, a good friend of mine told me it's been 8 months since he's spent a night in a hotel in MDW. That's encouraging and while I keep hearing that SW doesn't have commutable trips, there may be exceptions depending on where you live and where you're commuting to (along with seniority, and other factors).

The fact that 42% of pilots are commuting is encouraging to an outsider looking in.