Unless we get positive space travel, commuting will NEVER be a nonevent. Fly for the home team. In ABQ that's AA and SWA, but even then you're still commuting. If you insist on commuting, there's not much else you can do besides aim for the most junior BES to get a line ASAP and write off thousands of dollars in expenses and far more in opportunity cost. But if you insist on living in breaking bad country that's just the cost of doing business. I've heard folks advocate for buying a refundable ticket on one airline and listing for a jumpseat on the other to hedge your bets. If the loads look great, roll your ticket back to the next trip. DEN and LAS are drivable (not to say you want to drive 8 hours routinely) but that's good to know in a pinch.

Keep in mind although the contract has commuter policy protections, when you're on probation you don't have the full protection of the contract. So if you miss a lot of trips the company can say you're not a good fit and give you the boot with zero recourse. What that number is? Who knows. I've been told by the CPO it's as short as 3 strikes of missed trips/unable to contact/noncurrent for CBT's or passports or medical expiring. Maybe they'll give you a few mulligans, maybe not. Bottom line is give your self plenty of time, know what the weather is like at the various hubs and know what is going on eith major events that make loads fill up to see trouble coming, and when in doubt go early. If/when you get sick of it, move to base and be much happier.