Originally Posted by cornerpocket

Seeing that a lot of new hire FO's have to commute initially before being able to hold their base of choice, I'm looking for some overall perspective on what qualities in a base other commuting 737 pilots have found "desirable".

Is seniority in base worth going to LGA? Does having a line mitigate the headache of covering JFK/EWR/LGA? How commutable in general are the NYC trips at the bottom end of the seniority list? Could one plan on a couple (3-4) hotels per month max? Or would crashpads be a better option?

Is DCA a better alternative to LGA if one wants to avoid NYC?

How about the bases serving single airports like BOS/CLT/DFW?
Being more senior bases, do pilots on reserve get used much in those bases? Do trips at those bases tend to be less commutable?

And as a general catch-all, do any bases stand out as a "DON'T COMMUTE HERE"?

Feel free to chime in with anything you've found useful in your experiences. Thanks!