Originally Posted by FlyerJosh
Most every company (at least those that base pilots out of a hub) builds some sort of day trip lines (the number and value vary). It's a necessity to allow for the best utilization of the pilot group and staffing numbers.
Most of the time they go very senior. Personally I disliked them since you don't earn any untaxed per diem and it took me about 2 hours of commuting each day when you factored in the time to get to/from employee parking, through security, and out to the terminal (and I lived 5 miles from the parking lot)...
Last winter, I would do turns to MMPR/PVR (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) out of MSP every Saturday. Depart at 9am fly to Mexico, on the ground for a hour and back. A easy 8.5 hrs pay. Plus we had a third pilot, so you got a break for a few hours. I would park at the terminal so save the time of riding the bus and the international override covered the cost of the parking. That was my best 3 months of working for the airline. Then you add turns to the west coast and you can get a full month working in 10 or less days.....