Originally Posted by
Diver Driver
I don't work for Eagle, but have been on reserve for a long time at two different airlines. You will rarely break guarantee. Do not count on breaking guarantee to pay your bills. You can usually count on per diem pretty much paying for your taxes each check. My net and gross amounts have historically been right around the same number when you add in the per diem on the net side of the equation.
^^ What he said. There's no way of knowing with any degree of certainty how long you'll be on reserve but you can bet on at least a year unless you're willing to commute to SJU. Take it from a guy who's been on reserve at Eagle for a couple years now, it's possible to break guarantee but it's not common and it's not something you have much control over. You can pretty much forget it in the winter.
Picking up OT is an option but as others have said, it's tough on reserve and even tougher if you commute. The most you could pull off would probably be one 2 day or maybe a 3 day trip per month if you swap your days off around (which can be impossible in and of itself), you're lucky and the stars are aligned. That said, staffing is typically fatter during the winter months and OT is harder to come across then if it's not blocked completely.