Originally Posted by
TED74
Historically, in base Reserve could be a pretty good gig. I’m close to the airport, so long call and short call look almost identical. Reserves might be on the hook for more days than a lineholder, but actually work/fly quite a bit less.
Fast forward to present day in the post-optimizer and perpetually undermanned world, and I’m not sure that’s all true anymore. For someone without flexibility to improve efficiency via green slips, does in base Reserve really offer much qol anymore? Perhaps it does on WB but not NB? I’d be interested to hear some anecdotes of those navigating the in-base junior NB A reserves…
In base reserve 7ERA at 85%. Able to get weekends off, which is night & day vs weekend reserve.
I’ve flown 2 legs this month, both fly out DH back the following day (I would rather fly back than DH incidentally). CQ did allow me to conflict with quite a few reserve days, so I should mention that. 3 short calls, all unused - this would really start beating up a commuter.
Most months able to get at least one GS, which adds pay and more importantly PB days, which introduces an element of choosing your trips (which ARCOS call to accept) vs being assigned on RES days. Strategic use of banked PB days when able improves QOL also but most roll to supp vacation days.
I wouldn’t have taken the upgrade either as a commuter, but even in the worst month its been fine as a local. I think this is the key: flying mostly pieces of broken trips vs some of the hard charging regular rotations with short layovers/dayovers.
330B looks much more appealing than 737/320/220A if/when this ride ends, weighing QOL vs $.