When I used to commute, I did so to an airport that had regular flights, meaning 7+ flights a day. I'd be cautious of the 3 or so flights per day because if one cancels or you get bumped, it means you either go in the night before, you miss your trip, or you get stuck in base after a trip and miss a night at home. The other thing you have to figure out is what sort of commuter schedule you can hold. As a new hire, commuting to reserve is absolute hell and I would never do it again unless I was offered big money. Crash pad life isn't for me, and in my case I could lose 2 days off for every reserve block I had. Commute in the night before for an early RAP, and then I'd inevitably get used on my last day and miss my commute home. Once you can hold a good commutable schedule it gets easier, but on the regional level, I'd find an airline with a base driving distance from you, or to an airport that has regular flights throughout the day. Driving 4 hours every few days back and forth will get old quick.





This is exactly how I feel. I live in base now but have the option of parking 30-40 min away from the airport and taking the bus in. Many of our pilots go this route and a few think I'm insane for instead choosing the 'park at airport' option. Bus, airplane, train, it's all public transit on a schedule and I don't want to deal with it. I love knowing that my car is in the parking lot, and if I have to sit in traffic waiting to leave the airport, I'm doing so in my car, listening to what i want to listen to without dealing with some random person sitting next to me.