Originally Posted by webecheck

I know a dual pilot couple, both FOs, that just left CA for a tax free state, and save 50k annually between them. Let’s just say you only save 20k though, and commute once a month to a 1 work block schedule as a WB FO at SFO. Your flight from Seattle (presuming this is where the OP commutes from) is 2hrs block time, and you do this 10x a year (2 months removed because of annual sick and vacation time). Your pay rate on those 20 commutes is $500/hr, but your straight time pay is only 250. Hmmm, so now which time is it you want back? Granted, there is the time spent by having 2 contractually legit options, and maybe sometimes missed commutes. (I’ve only had 1 MT in 7 years). Additionally, in between trips you have to buy a hotel, so subtract that cost from your $500 pay rate, let’s say it’s $200/night. You need 3 trips for an award, so 2 hotels. 1 round trip commute saves $2k minus $400 hotels. Net 1600/4hrs = $400 hourly rate. Anyone can tweak this math for a variety of reasons, but the bottom line is there can be a financial savings commensurate with the compensation you receive during actual work so the decision is not so easy. And let’s say the OP lives in tri cities area or somewhere else in eastern WA, he would make 1 drive per month instead of 3 or 4. That’s worth another couple hundred in fuel plus no less than 10+ hours of additional driving just to live “in base”.

Many people choose to do this for exactly the above reasons, so not so black and white.