I know that the company is working hard to get properly staffed. Hiring, training, and becoming more efficient with PBS. Once everyone is trained and PBS is up and going I highly doubt anyone on reserve will credit more than guarantee which is 75 hours. I'm not really sure where the Atlantic Southeast reserve rules and such compare in the regional world but they are far from mainline and other quality airlines.

Hopefully the union gets smart on the next contract and bargains to increase the QOL for reserves. No one has seen what a super regional is like yet and with 3500 pilots strong and the way things are going, I can only imagine one would be on reserve for quite some time. Although not on reserve, I myself will be working to improve what reserve guys have to go through when the next contract is being worked on.

As far as commuting and such, you might as well just live in Atlanta. I really feel that reserves will have no say in their schedule for at least two years after this merger goes into effect. You get 11 days off and will be on short call. Long call is actually becoming short call from what I understand. It was a great concept but scheduling has figured out the loopholes and how to get around the contract. From what I hear, no one is ever at home sitting there and gets a call to be at the airport in 12 hours. They usually have your next assignment at the end of your last assignment. But that will probably all change when they get properly staffed.

Most likely for the first year or so you will get a reserve period starting between 4AM and 9AM. They last about 15 hours. Commuting isn't impossible but I wouldn't want to do it. I guess it's all about how much of your life you are willing to trade for a flying job. But hey, most guys are willing to just "work to live" now instead of "living to work".