Sort of correct. At Delta you can only book 5 1/2 days out if you are going to work. You can book 3 1/2 days out if commuting home from work. The "work" has to be on your published schedule. I think personal travel on JS is 1 1/2 days out.

Instead of "race to the phone", I think a hybrid system would be good. For 5-3 days out from going to work, it goes by seniority and the list gets locked in by seniority over that 2 day period. So, if #17K books JS 5 days out and #1 books same JS 3 days out the order would be 1 followed by 17K. But at 2 days out if #1 books then the #17K guy keeps the first spot.

IOW, some sort of hybrid that respects seniority but the senior people also respect common decency for the junior. Rarely do I have competition for the JS. But to abide by the commuter policy I buy a ticket to get to work because a couple of times a senior guy came up 30 min prior and needed the JS for his non rev trip. When there are only 2-4 flights/day this uncertainty pushes me into buying a ticket.

Yes, commuting is a choice. But the expense borne by the underlings, cumulatively, adds up because "you never know" if you have the JS unless you are system sen of #1.

Seniority is in full force for the other 200 seats on the plane for "the senior guy" and all his family that's NR when I'm trying to get to work.

My suggestion is but one feeble attempt to respect seniority while also decreasing costs for many commuters by providing some certainty on the JS booking.