flyinglizard

Hi! So I've been here a bit over three years, western base. I do only turns and two days no problem. I never go east, I've never had a boston or nyc overnight. Are they available? yes. Do I take them, no. I fear snow. I get a variety of overnights if I choose. For you, you should have similar quickly in being able to trade with other pilots and the company if you don't like the overnights you get. You'll easily be able to come out west for overnights, as I could go east if it weren't so damn cold.

I recently entertained offers from delta and united. Granted, I am three years in here, so seniority played a part in the decision but what really did it for me is that line scheduling vs pbs can not be beat. I can move days around so easily. My sister is visiting this month and she didn't know what days until after I bid my line. But it was no sweat to move things around so that she and I will have a great week together. When I have asked the DL and UA folks about that I get hmmms and uhhhhs. No one who is being honest will argue that they have better control of their schedule. They have widebodies, which is pretty awesome! But I prefer, personally, to control my schedule, yes work harder on my days on, but have more days off and more ability to control those days off. I won't get to sit first class on a nonrev to paris easily as they will for vacation, but I'll have more days on that vacation.

It's a tough choice, even for me with seniority, and I sweat it. But for work life balance, as a delta friend said, "Southwest works hard but has time to play hard. Delta works less hard but we are more rested on our days off" and I think both are fair.