Originally Posted by
at6d
The company sees commuting as a perk. I see it as an option. The perk is being able to fly for free to exercise our options.
As for WN, many on our seniority list have been involuntarily displaced, some on the opposite ends of the country. For them, commuting is not a perk; it’s a requirement for them to keep their jobs unless they move, change airlines, quit, or stick it out.
I read somewhere that about half of WN pilots commute. The company reminds us that commuting is a choice. Call it what you want, a perk, option, choice, whatever. It’s also a choice to be an airline pilot.
The real question is airline spouses! Perk? Option? Worth the commute? LOL Choose carefully!
Yeah free travel is a perk. That, combined with non 9-5 schedules, enables the option/choice to commute. It is a choice. There are always home-base aviation employers if you don't want to live in a hub and don't like being confronted with the pain of the responsibility of getting yourself to work. A lot of that depends on how painful it is, not all commutes are created equal, not by a long shot.