If you’re commuting on reserve then that’s pretty self explanatory, your lifestyle is going to tank. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. At least you can fly on company metal from TPA. Also I thought you were about to say you can’t take 2 weeks on 2 weeks off cargo anymore, but it sounds like you just want the extra money. I’d probably reevaluate that, most of the time you can’t put a price on quality of life. A lot of us came here fully knowing it will be difficult unless we live in base.. I think most of us have commuted at least to one base, if not multiple. But the upside is the possibility of great seniority, there’s so many airplanes on order. The short term commute/schedule issues might be worth it. But as the bottom direct entry Captain, I would come in with very low expectations as far as reserve and lines go. so at least you won’t be disappointed.

 

My recommendation would be to stay where you are, I say this even with the knowledge that you might be senior to me. I left Breeze a few months back to return to ACMI flying so I wouldn’t have to deal with the commute anymore. It looks like BDL has 3 flights a day so that may be an ok commute. PVD only has 1-2 and with the on time performance of both breeze and southwest these days even those aren’t great options. So you’re looking at the possibility of an occasional/frequent 2 leg commute.

I don’t know the reserve schedules but when I left every reserve period began at 4am, which means your commuting the day prior every time and, if the breeze schedules are the same, if you fly the last day of reserve you won’t be able to get home. That could mean 2 extra hotels or what’s the point of going home for 1 day? I admit I may be working with outdated information.

Even flea bag hotels aren’t really cheap anymore. Unless there is some special rate in PVD/BDL you will probably be spending at least $75 a night. Hopefully you can find a hotel with an airport shuttle otherwise you will have to factor in the cost of Ubers to/from the airport. Possibly multiple times if you get a bunch of day trips. Although if you do fly then at least you will get perdiem to help offset the cost, otherwise you are just sitting reserve on your own dime.

For me, by the time I factored in hotel and Uber cost I was only losing 2k a moth by returning to ACMI FO. That 2k is easily offset with the 7% 401k DC (breeze still only matches), some international perdiem, and about 85-90hours of credit. Meaning I am still losing money some months, but to not have to deal with finding hotels, begging for rides, and dealing with the stress of commuting. It is worth it to me. That doesn’t even consider the “growing pains”.

If you lived in a base or there was a possibly you could get TPA soon I would perhaps suggest you give it a shot. The flying is fine, even if a bit repetitive and boring, the people were great for the most part, and you get to give as many stand up PAs as you want. Usually apologizing for the operation. 😂

either way you’re welcome on my jumpseat anytime, as long as you’re wearing business casual and laugh at all my jokes.

 

Total lurker and former ACMI guy here... If only 6 years left? I'd stay at your ACMI, if you're at K4 past year 3 pay you should be making some good money. I bailed on my ACMI (I have a few decades left), it was quite a shock and adjustment to come back to passengers again, but I live in base. No way in the world I would commute, I still can't fathom how guys do it for a decade or more. If they close my base I'll move. For the record I don't work at Breeze, but at another major with much better (enforceable) work rules. I also attempted to commute to a day trip type airline, absolutely regretted it... If you try to commute at Breeze I'll suspect you'll be miserable quick. Good luck in your decision!

 

To be blunt, after the bombs they dropped on the pilots and flight attendants this week, you’d be WAYYYYY better off staying as far away from here as you can! They lied to a lot of us to get us here and now just screwed their crews. Commuting to reserve here is a nightmare as they do whatever they want and you have no say whatsoever in your schedule! After you do get a line, you can, AND WILL, be pulled off it and put back on reserve. It’s one of the biggest complaints and issues here but they don’t listen nor care! THEY WILL EFF WITH YOU! DO NOT believe anything recruitment tells you OR what they come and tell you in indoc, it’s all lies! Yeah, I’m ****ed off now.

In addition, the operation is a mess and is not getting better. The A220 delays continue as it’s a piece of junk. You will be very frustrated EVERY BLOODY DAY you come to work. You’d regret it quickly. Quite frankly I think the airline is in trouble. It’s so dysfunctional on every level and every Tuesday we get a bag of BS from management. The 401K, the ridiculous PLAYBOOK, Buddy passes, PBS and the list goes on, “we’re working on it”!

They honestly think charter is going to save them but it too will be a mess. The EJet crews just got hosed HARD and it’s gonna backfire on them BIG TIME!

Take all the opinions on here and do what’s best for you but I would I no way give up home basing to commute to reserve at an unprofitable start up or anywhere for that matter. Wait for your upgrade and enjoy YOUR days off. You’ll have to commute on your 12 days off here and you will be miserable. You’d really need a crashpad (Good God) or an apartment and transport.

Good luck

 

If you are entertaining leaving ACMI and trying to maintain your lifestyle, bail for a legacy that has a FL base…..

 

In a similar potential commuter A220 DEC situation as Sixairlines. I realize there are a lot of variables for holding TPA but could anyone based there give a best estimate? I've heard up to a year or "a long time".

Thanks in advance.

 

bro it’s a startup bro

but Neelman….

think what my seniority will be in 5 years!!!!!!

 

You’ve been spouting the same stuff for months now. But the airline is getting bigger, more pilots keep coming, highest load factors, high satisfaction scores. How exactly have Ejet crews(as in pilots) gotten hosed hard? Literally, nothing has changed. At all. Reserve flying is reserve flying, you can be sent anywhere. At the end of the day the whole operation for that matter can shut down tomorrow. You’re just making up stuff to complain about.

 

to give context to what Dash8 is even talking about, management sent the CHARTER FLIGHT ATTENDANTS an email stating that they will be removed from the homebasing program, and that charter flight attendants will be created from pulling reserves from a charter base (ORF, MSY, PVU).

nothing else has changed, especially for pilots. Go to a legacy if that’s your calling. Breeze is focusing on the A220, and anyone who has any sense has known that’s the direction the company would head.

 

The key point any pilot considering coming to Breeze should consider is the financials. On past startups like Jet Blue financials were released almost from the first quarter of operation. In the case of Breeze they seem to be non existent. If they were good Breeze would certainly be shouting them from the rooftops. This is the highest revenue environment in airline history. In the absence of published accounts there are forensic accounts that are horrible. Maybe they will release something for the second quarter this year as it appears airlines will be hitting record levels of profit. If not I would look elsewhere.