Commuting From Canada
 

Hey everyone,

I'm an ex-military guy interested in flying for Alaska and like the title says, I plan on living in Canada and working in Seattle. There is one non-stop per day which is a 1hr flight or if I have to go to Vancouver makes it two stops and 3 hrs duration including layovers.

My first question for the current Alaska Pilots is whats it like to commute for Alaska for the long term? Do most people stick with Alaska because they live in the PNW? If I need to commute to Seattle for the rest of my career would you recommend Alaska or Delta? Second question: is there anything preventing me from commuting from Canada itself? Do I need to be a US resident according to the contract or anything like that?

Thanks

delta

people come to alaska bc they live in Pdx or anc
or
they come here till delta/United/American call

Do not commute to Alaska Airlines.

Most of the schedules at Alaska are not commuter friendly, and overall it is not a commuter friendly airline. There’s no reason to not be trying for Delta first, if Alaska calls first go ahead and go and expect a call from Delta shortly thereafter.

Don’t listen to the angry bunch here….yes Alaska is just about as commuter friendly as others, if not more so than a lot. Currently they are picking up the tab for hotels if you have an early start or late finish…

The dirty thirty will jump on here and say that’s only temporary, but there has been no communication that it will end, and I highly doubt it will.

If they were serious about changing their tune, the current commuter program would be etched in contractual stone. The very second they can drop it, they will. Not sure why that’s something you’re so vehemently defending…

When people say commuter friendly they’re not referring to hotels dude…

Our commuter policy is weak compared to other airlines and needs improvement. Hopefully this is something we focus on next round of negotiations or sooner to help with attrition

and per the DM email a few months ago about the positive space commute home in the commuter hotels MOU he hinted that the Ps ticket home would end when the 321s retire. So it’s a good bet that the commuter hotel MOU will be gone when the 321s are done

I guess the Airbus pilots will be leaving with the 321s?

I'm not an understandably angry virgin commuter, but just about any airline pilot on the west coast knows that AS is not a particularly commuter friendly.

I looked into this. You'd probably be better off driving from Vancouver to SEA. I have a NEXUS card and all the fast pass options. Clearing customs at SEA is easy. Vancouver can be a nightmare if your flight arrives at the same times as the Asian inbound flights. Also you have to spend a lot of money on taxes as there is some kind of tax for non rev passengers who travel internationally. This could get expensive. In addition it will take a long time until you can hold a commuter friendly line. So you'll spend the majority of your time in a crashpad in SEA. This will be a big issue while you are on reserve. Maybe less as a line holder but current staffing issues have FOs flying maximum hours with no ability to drop or trade. So it could get very ugly. I wouldn't recommend it unless you were single. The upside is that you'd make a lot more money than someone who worked at a Canadian airline flying the same equipment.

I've flown with a guy who lives in YVR and commutes to SEA. Usually he just flies down but being able to drive it is a great back up. I've commuted my entire airline career. I hold 4-day trips that start early on day 1 but I'm done before noon on day 4 95% of the time. Usually it's an early east coast show and in SEA by 10-11am on last day for me. Does commuting suck? Sure does but I put up with it.

How many 4 days are you doing in a month?

That sure sounds commutable to me….but all the angry bunch post above that Alaska is not commuter friendly 🙄

How many airlines have you worked for? I've worked for four and of those four, Alaska is THE ONLY ONE at which it is nearly impossible, even as a senior bidder, to fly trips that are commutable on both ends. The guy you responded to is lucky enough to work trips that are commutable on one end... Because that's basically the ceiling for commutability at Alaska.

And commutability is a lot more than report/release times... It's being able to finesse one's schedule through trading and bidding to stack trips together, minimize trips to and from base, etc. It's lines with more than 15 days off. It's the commuter policy, and ours is lacking. ETC ETC.

I am stuck with the trips I was awarded for April because big surprise, reserve coverage is negative for nearly the entire month. I can't give away my trips because who would pick them up when they could fly premium instead because of this company's abysmal staffing? I need to move one trip one day to attend a family function and I cant because of staffing, so I'll be forced to use sick time instead. I don't commute anymore but if I did, I sure wouldn't call this predicament commuter-friendly, not by a long shot. And nothing from the new contract that's been implemented so far feels ANY different in that respect.

I'm convinced you just reflexively respond to defend the company every time criticism is posted instead of even giving a single thought to how out of your element you really are. The only people who could possibly recommend commuting to this airline are the ones who have never worked anywhere else.

My previous regional had better commuter language and trips then AS does. If you stay at AS you’re either in the left seat and too senior to start over or you live in base and don’t deal with the blaring issues that most trips present for commuters here. In terms of commuting this airline really isn’t high up on that list. Could that change eventually? Yes. Will that change? Probably not. If you’re deadset on commuting especially from Canada I’d recommend Delta. Good luck!

The McChord mafia is still strong in the AS pilot group. Hey it’s better than active duty so it must be ok. After 8 airlines, and commuting for ALL of them, AS is NOT commuter friendly.

If you need commuter hotels then your airline is not commutable.

👆👆👆This right here is reality.👆👆👆

Southwest said, "hold my WIld Turkey 101"

At least almost every line is 18 or more days off though.

got ‘em

100%

And just to add just by nature if Alaskas network is not commutable mostly vacation spots and 1 a day service.

makes for easy flying and nice long overnights often in islands or Mexico. But with that trips are hardly commutable launch kinda early on day 1 spend 18-24 hours in city do 1 or 2 legs rinse and repair back typically around 5 or later on last day. Makes for easy flying but bad commutablity

this^ x100%.. it’s chill if you live in base. But as a commuter idk how guys do it.

I realized my last post is littered with typos. one day I’ll decided to proofread my post before I hit submit reply but that day is not today or tomorrow or the next day but Someday.

alaska not commuter friendly but fine if you live in base

Yes I’ve worked at many other shops. Ya’ll should go try and work for Allegiant if you really think Alaska isn’t a commutable airline…

Maybe i’m not as rash, but commutable on one end of trips, is considered pretty darn commutable and fair to me, and we have MANY pairings like that…

I think it’s more along the lines of the original poster’s comments, asking if Alaska’s commutable compared to Delta in Seattle.

no one is saying alaska does not have commutable trips, there are some but the majority. A lot on one end but I’d define commutable as both ends are commutable. Alaska is very much a love in base outfit

Between the two Airlines, delta would be more commutable trips if the person is going to choose to commute from Vancouver

Did you really just try comparing our commutability with bases in major hubs like SEA/LAX/SFO (and even to a slightly lesser extent ANC/PDX) to an airline with bases in BLI, PGD, SFB, ABE, BNA, TYS, AVL, SAV, DSM, GRR, PIE, VPS, ATW, FNT, PVU...????? Do you think that actually makes any sort of useful point?? Allegiant has never met a backwater outstation they couldn't try to turn into a base. If you're comparing us to them, you have long since lost the argument.

Whoa! A BevMo sale? Chaz?!

I give Myself 3 years before I make a website advertising myself, (the headshots and poses will be immaculate) I’ll develop a drinking problem and get myself fired

it’ll be a beautiful and firery downfall, it’ll be beautiful. Stay tuned in to see my demise

Does anyone commute from Spokane? If so, how does that work out?

You are clearly new to Airlines.
NOBODY would ever think Allegiant is commutable nor do they advertise as such. They have always been known for their ‘out and back’ schedules which is ideal for Pilots living in base, and seasoned Pilots know that😉… also, they are not considered a ‘Legacy or Major’ by any stretch hence not a “Destination” airline.

Cool story bro, glad you got it all figured out…

He’s right, you know. Allegiant’s schedule is built out and back, all in the same day. They are known for that.

Exactly. Which was the exaggerated point I was trying to make, that went over both y’all’s heads. There was so much complaining going on about commutable trips here, that I jokingly said maybe you should try Allegiant then…

Subtle exaggerated points do not communicate well on a forum. That has been my experience over decades. When we are in person, you can see my eyes and my smile. Facial expressions and body language helps communicate this much better.

A) Freq Flyer is a rookie. Knows not what he knows not. B) Even though it is a gross contractual violation, we are not able to commute on Alaska Airlines flights operated by Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines flights operated by Skywest we are allowed to commute on and of course our own flights. Horizon does all the Canada flying for Alaska Airlines. We do none of our own. You can list as a non rev behind all of the Horizon non revs and their friends and family but that is not commuting. C) Alaska Airlines has an intense dislike for commuters. I have commuted for 24 plus years with Alaska. We completely failed to address commuting in our last contract and we failed to get commutable long call/short call reserve language as well. Not sure where you live in Canada but you should just plan to drive

As usual from you…nothing but half truths.

[QUOTE=9mikemike;3662702]Even though it is a gross contractual violation, we are not able to commute on Alaska Airlines flights operated by Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines flights operated by Skywest we are allowed to commute on and of course our own flights. Horizon does all the Canada flying for Alaska Airlines. We do none of our own. You can list as a non rev behind all of the Horizon non revs and their friends and family but that is not commuting./QUOTE]

[MENTION=119166]Hitch18[/MENTION] the Horizon part quoted above is something you should definitely understand and research so you make a fully informed decision. If you're starting soon also consider that it's more than possible that you get SFO or LAX instead of SEA. I don't know how that compares to the current Delta outlook for you. Where are you in the hiring pipeline?