Originally Posted by Casualinterest

I'm not usually one to begrudge people's choices in life, but I feel like this needs to be said out loud.

If you are an FO that could hold captain, or know someone who does, this is a serious question.

Are you ok with being stuck in the right seat for the foreseeable future? If so, stop reading and enjoy. best wishes.

If not, please think real hard about whether or not commuting to hold captain on the 200 or 900 is as bad as sitting right seat for another X months/years because you "refuse to commute to _____".

I fly​ with a LOT of FO's in ATL who "refuse to commute to NY" and they say it with this Aire of superiority like those of us that did it for YEARS are somehow just dumb for having done it. It's not great, but it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. And if commuting to reserve in NYC as a captain making 100k is really your idea of hell on Earth, then prepare to sit in that right seat for an uncomfortable amount of time if the unthinkable happens.

I tell every single FO I fly with to put in for upgrade regardless and just suck it up. It's for the greater good of your career.

If you're cool not upgrading then more power to you, enjoy your schedule and I hope to Fly with you.

But I fly with a lot of FO's furious they can't upgrade to the 900 in the base of their choice. That's the brakes. <Insert story here from senior captain about how they sat in the right seat for 15 years>

Please think about it, because there are whispers this may be the last upgrade vacancy for a while. Maybe false, but do you want to take that chance?