Remember that Gateway is on your days off. Yes, much less stressful than begging for a ride. But Atlas will want you in base with time to get rest before the official start time of your line. If you live in SEA going to ANC for an evening departure you might be able to go up that morning. If you live in BNA it’ll take all of the previous day to get up there.

On the 747, unless you're ANC based, you probably won't see heavy rest until the end of your pattern. I'm based in ORD, and have had heavy rest only once in my entire time there. You'll leave your base, and usually won't see it again until the end of your pattern. ANC is the exception, since Asia mostly flows through these.

Base
 

Okay makes sense, possibly losing days off to commuting. Why is Miami so senior though, just because it’s Florida and on the beach or is it to do with the trip schedule and possibly getting home a lot more than say the other bases?

Would it be advisable to keep ANC as a base even as your seniority improves then, for things like the ‘Heavy rest’ or is the commute there for example just costing people too much of their off days to be lost. I’m guessing that’s why most change bases simply for a shorter commute and possibly to be able to commute the same day you fly as you get a guaranteed seat to base now.

The trend for pilots that don't live in ANC is to bid to get out of there as soon as possible. They're simply losing too many days at home with that commute on your days off as the company is probably going to put you in base no later than the day before. Regarding heavy rest, word on the street is the company is going out of their way to avoid heavy rest and keep people on the road instead.

They have to see their second wife down in Campinas.

If you live somewhere like SEA, ANC is the base to be because that heavy rest effectively will turn into extra days at home. Not hitting ANC on your pattern is almost impossible right now because almost all ex-Asia flying touches ANC on the way back.
If it takes you 1.5 days to commute home from ANC, then ignore all this heavy rest talk and just try to bid out asap.

This is the key to QOL. A full day or more commute to ANC with ANC being at or over the year mark to bid out of is the thing to be aware of if your wanting to fly the 747. Take a look at the flight schedules and be ready for the common 0300 start on day one which means a full day or more prior commute plus the red eye flight back down south. The key is to manage your own situation correctly and individually. I have forgone company gateway transport in the winter months because of this, Fedex, ups, and DHL have better options.

This is exactly what I did yesterday.


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Out of morbid curiosity more than anything, if one was living in base in ANC how often during a 17 day pattern would one get to be home. I know schedules are always changing and impossible to predict.