Originally Posted by
88002
A few questions. Appreciate the answers.
1) How much do crashpads average in the SEATAC area?
2) How feasible is commuting (especially to reserve) to SEA for the 175 from SAN, ONT, and LAX
3) What's the furthest one could reasonably travel in from SEA from surrounding communities/regions. I understand traffic can be a nightmare and I'm curious what people have been doing.
4) When does standby travel or JS for that matter become available as a new hire?
5) What kinds of vehicle heights will the parking at SEA accomodate?
Thanks again!!!
1) Depends on what you want. Private room? Reserved Bed? Hot rack? Perusing the crashpad FB group... Anywhere from $200-$600/month. Can't be more helpful here because I live here, sorry.
2) I'd say it's feasible. AM reserve at SEA is 0400-1600 and PM is 1030-2230. Ready reserve is slightly different and I forget those times. Multiple mainline and OAL flights a day between those city pairs. If you want the commuter "protections", you have to list on an Air Group managed flight (ASA,QXE,SKW-operating ASA flights) and there are some caveats with that. You have to list, but can non-rev on something else if you want/can get on. Like most other places, if it's not QX metal, your commuter status means nothing with regards to non-rev priority, but the "protections" remain in place. AM reserve... come in the night before your first day, leave your last day. PM reserve... Come in (maybe) on the first flight of the day on your first day, and try to negotiate an early release with scheduling your last day to catch the last flight out.
3) Home reserve is a 2 hour callout in SEA. So, with worst case of having to report in 2 hours, factoring in the commute and leaving some buffer time for normal traffic and having to park/shuttle from employee parking, get through security and down to the crew room (or plane)... I say no farther north than GreenLake/Bellevue. No further east than maybe Issaquah, and no further south than Tacoma/Puyallup area. Best advice is where you do end up, study the area and know 2-3 other ways to get to the airport. People here do not know how to drive and traffic can go to **** in a heartbeat.
4) Non-Rev on Air Group flights starts 30 days after hire (more specifically your "first day" at the Hub building in SEA when you get your ID). Non-Rev on OAL is 6-months after hire. JS is pretty much from day one. Day 1 you get your ID, Day 2 (down in PDX) you get your KCM badge. You're in JACS and good to go. You still can't list on AAG flights, so you have to list at the gate. Not a big deal, just tell the agent you're a new hire and excited blah blah blah. Side note, on QX metal, you can also list for the FA JS (so gives you another option when things are tight). Not that bad... I've done it a few times where the flight was full, and only the 2 JS available and a mainline pilot and I are trying to get on the same flight. I'll have the agent put me in the FA JS so the other pilot can get onboard.
5) There is a height limit to get through the North Lot employee parking (as well as on-airport parking), but I forget what it is. I'll try and remember it next time I'm there. I've seen some pretty decent sized SUVs and trucks in that lot. I do know the Port Authority's policy is "Campers, motor-homes, trailers, and RVs are prohibited. Conversion vans and oversize vehicles that take up more than one parking space are not allowed."
Good luck...