How are the schedules at AA? Specifically junior lines? Are most trips commutable? How many days off? How long to hold a line in places like NYC, DCA, or CLT (I know those are varying greatly in seniority…) Is it possible
to get 15+ days off regularly early on? What about life on reserve? Days off etc… Trying
to make a better educated choice. Most important thing to me is days off, even if it
means giving up some $.

 

Whatever you do, ignore a guy called ImSoSuss who will certainly chime in…

 

every base etc will be different.

in MIA I held Long call reserve my first 2 months. One of those I ended up with 19 days off. Reserve off is 12 on 30 day, 13 on 31 day months. But you can only be used up to 85 hours so you’ll end up with 14/15 off minimum.

started getting lines with 16 average days off until this summer. Class mate junior to me even got 17 off. Summer is peak. Got 14 days off awarded June and July.

as to actual flying, you’ll have so many different answers. I think it’s pretty easy and nothing crazy. I like the 4-5 day trips as a commuter. I don’t waist days off on commuting. And finish with a red eye so I’m home in the AM and have the rest of the day to myself. Once in a while I’ll have a tough pairing but mostly cake. Especially for me coming from ACMI. And yea you’ll have suss come here and tell you how terrible the place is, don’t come, no QOL, no this no that. Yet he’s still here. Que 3, 2, 1

 

It’s very simple here at AA. Our min day credit is 5:15 hours of pay. Your trip credit is going to be the number of days of the trip times our min day plus a few minutes per day if you’re lucky. That’s it! Days off at American average less than most other airlines for the same amount of credit.

 

They make Cracker Janes now so can pull your “facts” from there instead of always using Cracker Jacks

 

Yes, lots of soft time trips, but denser trips are out there too. Many, many people like soft time trips and would be on here *****ing if they had to fly long days and have short layovers. If you want to work hard time trips and earn more, you can do that here, might need some seniority is all

 

Great info guys! Thank you. If anyone else has more to add, it would be appreciated. I live being an airline pilot, but I also live being home with the family. I know those don’t work well together, but have to make it work. That’s why I say most important to me is days off.

and suss, thanks for your input as well. 5:15 isn’t horrible, at least coming from the regional side where we get 4… I mean, aren’t average lines about 75 hours? 5:15 a day still gives me just over 14 days of work to hit 75 hours. That’s 16-17 days off right? Sure, more would be better, but 16-17 days off is much better than what I get now.

 

Oh boy, warning ignored.

 

this is the way. what a lost soul. he'll be in a ditch soon.

 

Any insight for dca schedules. I see there’s dca international 320/737 during new hire classes. However few international destinations.