I loved regional flying...hated the pay though! LAX 717 was the perfect type of flying for me.

 

same, now that I’m on the ER I like this flying too, but I don’t think I would be opposed to doing regional flying again. What I was opposed to was making regional wages for that flying.

 

I do miss never leaving the eastern and central time zone.

 

If the 717 is a hidden gem I’d say it’s in DTW not ATL. Less senior, lots of commutable trips, plenty of low block trips with long layovers. Even less variety than ATL though..

 

RJ flying stinks now compared to what it was before the 220 came around . Before we had good trips and great destinations but the pay stunk . Now getting great pay at 216/HR but trips and destinations suck . Sounds like the perfect marriage of pay and trips is the 737 . At least the 717 is a nice mainline bird and more comfortable with better pay and profit sharing .

 

A lot of the 717 captains are midsize NB refugees. Some refugees went to the WB FO, some went captain (at my seniority level). I really loved the 320 as an airplane but it’s trips killed me. I’ve heard similar stories about the 737. Since hopping on the 717, I have found myself less stressed, more rested, and happier. Maybe being a captain agrees with me but I know better. The trips, vibe, and day length are simply easier. I have been waffling about staying or leaving and making more money (I figure about $30k more a year). I’ve decided it’s not worth it. I’d always rather stay home, but I’m not dreading leaving the entire day before a trip anymore. I was downright angry and it affected family life. Now I look forward to my “terrible” JAN, OAJ, HPN, EWR, BTR, DAY, etc layover. Every dump we fly into is usually low stress. I’ll eventually up gauge again but I’m staying here while my kids are still around. But then again, maybe not, I like my wife too so no sense making her upset. We make plenty of money already and life is good. YMMV.

 

This! DTW or ATL, it makes a fairly significant difference... I understand the comments above for ATL, no so much in DTW. My only 5 leg days were ATL rotations, but I have flown a 4 leg day where I blocked 3.7, was in the hotel by 1400 and never left the state of Michigan lol. live within an hour of base and I have flown most all types of DAL flying, including WB B. I also don't do this gig for the "travel" on overnights. If I want to travel, I'll buy tickets and go on a vacation.


Positives: I've never gone more than 1 time zone away from home (bigger deal than I ever imagined). We have no redeyes (even bigger deal). I can choose to be an AM flyer or PM flyer as most of trips rarely switch mid rotation. I never see JFK/LAX/BOS, and I haven't seen LGA, or the mess that's involved with flying into those places. I probably waited for a gate more in one flight on the 737 in JFK than I have in the last 2+ years on the 717. I rarely ever get rerouted, but when I do, it's been to a domicile layover or something similar to my original rotation (just layover in another burg). Many of my reserve callouts (more likely a GS) are just quick out-n-backs where TAFB is close to (sometime less than) ADG. At my seniority, I rarely fly more than 3 legs/day. I have yet to deal with block/duty day limitations. I genuinely prefer layovers is most (not all) of the burgs/villes over the big city layovers. Most of my time is spent < 30K and it's for short durations (radiation...). The plane is simple and easy to fly. I rarely ever DH, and if I do, it's usually on the 717 I'm flying home or flew out. As an added bonus, I don't have to listen to the old codgers and their North vs South BS.


Negatives. Shorter overnights. No real good beach destinations. You occasionally fly through the same line of wx multiple times a day (see note below). You get good a deice procedures and learning how to cover all your stuff to avoid the deice waterfall in the cockpit. Long ORD overnights (the mid-afternoon van ride downtown sucks). Seat sucks, and the cockpit isn't exactly spacious..thankfully I generally block < 300/yr.


Tip from uncle Crew...avoid ATL at all costs and bid for early flying so that you're in the hotel before the afternoon wx, thus the reroute machine, gets fired up. Do that, and you'll mostly fly your scheduled rotation on this plane.

 

I’ll give Jaww a +1 to pretty much everything he said. Haven’t done a summer as 717A yet, but so far my trips are usually 50% credit, the jet is fun to fly, I hate autobrakes btw. 90% of airports you fly into your the big boi so you get to do what you want. I have found the layover cities to be good, short van rides excluding long stays in EWR and YUL. Trip mix is a little repetitive but I expect that will improve. You don’t have to worry about bidding around red eyes! I can swap into 90% of what I want after the 20th…only 1 GS call in the last few months though. I will probably hangout five years unless the seniority takes off.

 

For how long has ATL717A had a bunch of blue on the Reserve Requirements chart in iCrew?

 

You guys keep this up and I might buy what your selling. Trading red eyes for 4 months of deice flavored coffee per year could be worth it.