I would not think of commuting at Atlas in terms of ease. Think in terms of time and connections. From ABQ you can have a paid direct flight to ORD or IAH, or a paid two leg paid ticket to any of our bases via DEN, DFW, or PHX, and probably SLC.

Two legs means your status rises quicker and it is easier to reach 1K on Unkted or whatever AA and DL call their elite levels. Helps justify being gone a few extra hours once your Gateway usually is upgraded to first class.

Good point.

DERA is correct overall/99% = Most everyone takes the upgrade as soon as possible. "Senior" must be defined with some intent if you have a specific goal of running your schedule as a lifestyle focus. Granted, a lot of it is base specific regarding the number of offered lines and of course where the most senior folks have dug in. Sitting right seat well beyond upgrade times and the lifestyle has its measurable improvements. Currently with a very very senior crew - Capt/2 FOs and we have had multiple meals and excursions together discussing the opportunities we have come to enjoy regularly (Uncommon to have three legs together). Plenty of burner times getting here and there's a cost no doubt, but our schedules at least 6 months a year are not like the others. Things do change so we are enjoying what we can. Seniority here isn't like your main lines.

*Living in base is hands down the best quality of life. Couple that with being within the top three, five or maybe ten depending on base/bids available gives you significant breathing room. I myself considered moving left a couple of times, but you must calculate where you will fall into the Capt mix to truly understand your capabilities of best controlling the uncontrollable. Immediate upgrade makes the most sense no doubt, but tack on several years and there are loopholes to be had just my observation living it as we all have our priorities.

several of my 74 classmates have been able to get CVG/MIA on the first vacancy bid run and we've only been here a month, seems like LAX is going more senior due to the Aussies. ORD/JFK/IAH also seem to be more senior.

No. And yes.

No, the California disability tax is not 2%, it is 1.1%. Yes, there is no longer an income cap on that as of 2024. The cap was on earnings up to $153,164 until this year.

ANC based employees have to pay 0.5% in 2024, but only on their first $49,700.


A Captain exaggerating taxes by almost double?? Unthinkable!

Still a crap state of affairs and terrible waste of good real estate. Could be amazing and that's the shame of it all. It's an extravagant pay to play situation on so many levels. It was tough enough decades ago living in SoCal and NorCal and I can't imagine since the turn of the Century or worse yet this past decade. Northeast and some other areas have pay to play as well, but these past five years many have revealed their true colors. Such a quagmire of choices really.

Schedule question
 

Hi,
Is there a "typical" schedule on the 74 for how many days in a row you are on?
What are the chances that you are gone 17 days straight?
​​​​
Thanks

do you see JFK during the rotation if that's your base? It sounds like if I actually want deadheads instead of a commute to base then JFK is a good choice? (Also would like Europe travel)

Anything can happen with Atlas scheduling; trying to predict what the lines will look like in the future is a wasted effort. I've been JFK based in both seats on the 747 and there are months that I don't ever see JFK (DH on both ends of the trip) and other months where all I have done are out and backs from JFK. I would say the best base for starting with deadheads is probably IAH simply due to the lack of scheduled flying there but JFK almost always has a few lines that don't touch it.

Now on the 767, no. You will never see JFK. In the future? Well, Amazon does fly there, but ATI currently has that route. Atlas did a route from JFK to East Midlands for DHL, but the 767 no longer flies for DHL. Sports charter into JFK? I guess that is possible.

So for now, on the 767, JFK is a commercial DH day one and day last (Alternate Travel between your home and the jet). No need to gateway to base.