Originally Posted by
Beehan
Schedules are MUCH more efficient here. The 5 hour avg min day already guarantees more days off for you, but then a lot of trips average 6+ or 7+ hours per day. Furthermore, that high credit day won't have a 3 hour sit like at your regional since F9 isn't depending on mainline to tell them what routes they can fly. F9 keeps the planes in the air (high utilization, quick turns) to maximize $ which also helps your schedule efficiency. As a result, we do have some operational headaches and often cascading delays, but you go to your zen state of mind and complete your legs as best you can and go home.
I could fill volumes with reasons I couldn’t wait to get out of regionals. This was certainly a big one for me. It was just getting worse and worse. You either got 40 min turns on 5 leg days (ie no way to recover delays, especially with a 10hr layover on both ends) or 2 legs with a 3+hr sit in a hub. Likely that whole day, even with duty rig 2:1, paid less than MDG (which was 4:12 for us). Long sits plus increasing min rest (“trips are getting more efficient, everyone!”), either/or they both suck. I’ve combed through pairings here and it seems like the longest I’m seeing are about 1:30.
Originally Posted by
nochopforboxes
It’s currently 5 hours min duty period. That needs to be changed on the next contract. Redeye eastbound, 24 hour overnight, fly back westbound for 10 hours of pay. At my regional that would’ve been 12.5 hours of pay just on min day.
Otherwise even though I’m making the same on year 1 as year 1 FO’s at regionals, my QOL can be great even being a commuter. The opportunity to make more with premium is great if you can snag some like we’ve been seeing today and yesterday.
I personally know of at least one person who turned down an interview here to stay at his regional once they raised pay at the regionals up, which is very short sighted in my opinion. I’m seeing a $1200/month contribution straight to my 401k on year 1 and obviously that will make a huge difference 30 years from now.
If I could change 1 thing (aside from payscale of course), it would be MDG instead of min duty period. Just picking at random, L3399 Las Vegas. Reports 2259 Monday, all night to Buffalo land at 7:19 Tuesday. 25hr layover. Day 3, fly home 9:29 to 11:24. All for 10:29 credit. I’m assuming that’s the 3.5 duty rig kicking in, so it pay a little more than just 10hr. Bleh. Nothing like starting work one day at 11pm body clock, just to flip it around to 5am body clock. Min daily wouldn’t make that feel any better, but at least the credit would be higher so maybe you don’t get stuck with as much of that flying.