Commuting policy is basically one Southwest flight or two offline.

Reserve length is hard to so because there are say many variables. Reserve generally goes junior, and is very junior when we are understaffed as now. Reserve can get more senior if we are overstaffed, especially weekday reserve. We can also give away reserve blocks, so in an overstaffed situation you can give away or trade you reserve blocks for trips. Reserve I believe is running around 18-20% of the total lines, and this varies depending on company needs.

A factor that comes into play in a junior base is that new hires on their first month cannot be assigned a reserve line. Let's say there are 300 hard lines and 20 new hires...once 280 hard lines have been awarded, the final 20 hard lines will be awarded to new hires. So if you are in a base with a constant influx of newhires, you may need a little more seniority to snag a hard line.

One thing to consider is that reserve at Southwest is unlike any other airline. Reserves are not "insurance", reserves are mainly used to cover open trips. Reserves lines are awarded with a monthly guarantee, but when executed have daily guarantee, get extra pay when assigned, and reserves are paid premium on some reassignments. You'll also start with a reserve line with more days off than a legacy airline. This means that at Southwest a reserve will fly more, but will have more days off and make more money. It's basically impossible to make guarantee as a reserve (and in an environment where you could not fly and make guarantee, reserve is now a choice because you can easily give it away).