The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the crew member. Think about it… at the end of the day… is it the airlines’, FAA’s, or NTSB’s business where a crewmember chooses to reside? Their only concern should be that the crewmember be well rested prior for duty. Like some foreign carriers, US carriers may require crew members to check in with the company between 18 to 24 hours before the actual scheduled time of actual report or departure confirming they are in residence at their base city. Will the airline be required to bare the expense of either a hotel room or crash pad for the commuter? No… as your base is your pseudo home.

Here’s the airlines’ spin on terms and conditions. All employees knew the pay and benefits schedules when interviewing. Base assignments are usually known during initial training. During basic indoctrination, the instructor pointed out that the use crew room as a rest area prohibited. Instructors warned about the evils of long distance commutes. The subject of crash pads came up during training.

It is clear the 8 hour rest rule does not work considering the time it takes to get from the jet to the hotel room… and back to the jet. It’s time for the FAA to step in to reduce the number of sectors that can be flown by a crew in one day. It is clear that the Duty Limitation must be reduced if the number of scheduled sectors exceeds a fixed number. Perhaps it’s time for the FAA to look across the Atlantic concerning duty and rest periods that EASA (the creation from JAA) has adopted. It is clear that the airlines have to create in a benefit package for hotel accommodations so crews won’t have to commute cross country all night and strap the jet to their backs and work another 12 hours. And yes… starting wages need to be increased. But equally it is the responsibility for the airman to recapture their respect and walk away from substandard conditions without reserve. Remember… airplanes don’t fly by themselves.