2 hours from EWR should be fine. All short call is "reasonable report" and while that generally is considered 2 hours, for a huge tri-co-base like NYC reasonable is around 2 hours to one of your choosing and reasonable beyond that to the rest. Rush hour on a friday to the one farthest from you? Could be 3-5 hours.

Oh that. Also don't forget about "auto release" at noon before a golden or vacation day, as well as calling to be released earlier in other cases. You will rarely have to sit that 12th hour of short call while actually having to potentially make a 2 hour call out. Especially in NYC where 3+ is reasoable to the "other airports". At about the 9-10 hour mark, there really isn't much they can do with you and are usually (not always) reasonable about granting a release. If for any other reason than it helps them by resetting your future availability that much sooner.

Where are most new hires ending up these days?

Vast majority to NYC with some in ATL. A trickle to other places.

Nu

how long to get LAX? SLC? SEA? ATL?

"DAL Poolie" thread regularly covers these topics with lots of posters. You'd learn a ton by just reading the past few months posts. "Delta Hiring News" is good for those applying, waiting for the call, or prepping for the interview. This is a pretty dormant thread.

Not long...I got ATL out of indoc and I will be LAX based starting 2 March. All the other bases have the same movement with the exception of SEA (new and senior) and MSP (senior and no movement).

Say those lucky enough to have a good SSN... The rest of us get stuck out east on the MD 88/90/95 for 12-18 months!

Little bit of a thread revive. I've gone from definitely commuting to definitely not commuting based on a few weeks of experience. I'm trying to gather info on various bases to see where I would most like to drive to work. My family is very outdoors oriented and Seattle looks like a seems like a great choice. Anybody moved there recently? Any thoughts to share? Also, why is it that Delta can't define Seattle as an actual base when all of the other domiciles are? Does Seattle have room to grow as a base?

I'm just in training and know that I won't be able to hold it for a while, but any info would be most helpful.

If we have any base that could be called a "growth base" it's Seattle. The 73 category was just added, and has plenty of vacancies right now, and they haven't even posted all the openings they have said they expect.

The company has made it clear they intend to keep/grow the intl ops there, and the latest TA was a bit of a tip of their hand about the fact that they want more smaller domestic lift there for west coast ops (read e190 or some similar jet).

This could all change tomorrow, just ask the DFW and CVG guys, but for now SEA is looking pretty good if you want a place to move to long term.

BTW- if you're in training on the 73, 90% chance you will be able to hold SEA on the next AE.

Saw,

That is good to hear. I am in fact training on the 73 right now, but don't think I'll be able to make up my mind that soon. Good to know that it is growing though. I have to get the Mrs out to Seattle and wow her with all of the coffee, mountains, farm-to-market food and hippies. Well, maybe less focus on the hippies.

Can anyone throw in there 2 cents about what MSP looks like for growth in the next year. Also as someone who lives in MSP what new hire base ( DTW, NYC, ATL would be the best for commuting). Assuming a 88 or ER and a long shot 320


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And don't forget, WA has no state income tax:D

I moved here this year, tons of great places to live within 2 hours of SEATAC, some sticker shock on the houses. Concur on the decision to not commute, you gotta have a big reason to put yourself thru that.

What would be some places you would recommend living for a young family? Poolie also and not wanting to commute forever. SEA is our number 1 choice.

I'm pretty sure that WA laws also permit you to use your contractual sick leave to care for sick family. Another very nice perk. (I think LAX and MSP pilots get this as well)

We ended up in Gig Harbor, aka base housing. Wide range of houses, 45 min (no traffic) to employee lot. Some live very close, as in West Seattle. Everybody seems to like where they are. Olympia, Issaquah all seem good. Everything downtown and northeast of town seemed crowded and expensive. Tacoma has some cool areas.

DTW would be the best for commuting to MSP, did it off and on for 15+ years.

That's where we are pretty set on (Gig) if we pull the trigger. Need to get to class 1st and see what I get assigned. Thanks.

What's the best place to be based if you're commuting from DFW?
I'm guessing ATL, but am looking for input.

DFW is a tough commute because it used to be a large pilot and flight attendant base. Some have found both DTW and NYC easier then ATL. Competition DFW to ATL for seats is intense.

The best place to commute is where you can get a line fastest. Coming out of the military I did not understand how much better a bad commute to a line is, than a good commute to reserve (unless you've got other factors such as family, friends, or mistress in reserve city). You'll get a line faster in NYC than anywhere else. Fortunately even if you don't get NYC out of class there are always openings in the next AE.

Just note, position says 767A and he said sticker shock.

I am a new hire and O5 retiree and determined I could not afford Gig Harbor yet. If you have family, be careful in Olympia and Issaquah since schools are hit or miss. As I recall, all the Tacoma schools were somewhere from bad to terrible.

Very tough commute anywhere. Lots of options offline but then you aren't in compliance with the company's unable to commute policy. I would wither under the stress of commuting from DFW while on probation.

I just flew with a 25 year F/O (777) who lives in DFW and commutes to ATL, he said the standby list to get to ATL is always about 40+ commuting employees long. He buys 'fly confirmed for less' tickets to get to/from work if need be, said it's about $120 each way.

DFW was at one time nearly as big a base as ATL, pilot wise, and there are lots of senior F/A's commuting to ATL from there too. Every guy I know who does that commute says it's a nightmare. You will be competing against some very senior F/A's and pilots to get on any Delta jet going to ATL.

I have not spoken with anyone who commutes DFW to SLC, DTW or MSP but one guy I know who does DFW-LAX uses American's jumpseats more than Delta's.

What's Growth?
 

MSP has been relatively stagnate for a couple of years. The company has been whittling it down since the merger. Not many displacements, but not much in the way of back fill either. I don't think growth is in MSPs future. If I had to commute from MSP it would be DTW.

"""Very tough commute anywhere. Lots of options offline but then you aren't in compliance with the company's unable to commute policy. I would wither under the stress of commuting from DFW while on probation."""[/QUOTE]

The above information is incorrect. A flight may be on or offline both for the contractual policy posted below and for the flight ops policy to get PS.

commuting pilot who travels to his base by air will not be eligible for treatment under Section 23 Y. 2. unless he has attempted to travel on at least two flights (on and/or off line) that: a. show adequate actual seat availability within 24 hours of the departure, considering the pilot's seniority and the normal load factor of the flight; or, on which the pilot has a jumpseat reservation, b. are scheduled to arrive at his base at a reasonable time before his scheduled report, and are separated by at least two hours.

In regard to the unable to commute policy, per the FOM vol 1 dated 7 May 2015, Chapter 11 Section 5 page 11.5.1:

"Note: Both the primary and back-up flight must be on a Delta mainline or DCI carrier."


Edited since the original quote was all messed up, which made my quote look screwy. Also figured I'd play nice.

Actually, the latest update to the FOM Commuting Policy can be found on the Flight Ops page under "headlines". It is dated 18JUN15 and supercedes the change in the MAY FOM change which was published in error. The latest version essentially says that the Primary flight can be on anybody: Delta, DCI, or OAL (Other Airline). The Backup flight is supposed to be on Delta or DCI

You need to update your FOM. That was a inadvertent change corrected since.

That FOM was taken directly from the online pubs section on deltanet, not my surface. Not sure I can be more up to date than that, unless the moderators there are using old stuff.

Quick question for the new guys...

I've always been a book study-er. Now that we have the tablets, I am finding it harder and harder to study the way I always have. I think I'm transforming into a dinosaur.

Is there a simpler way to study using the tablet?

Yeah, no income tax is awesome, but from my research, Washington has above average cost of living and taxes so they must make up for it somewhere. I have seen a few places in Gig Harbor that we could probably swing on the top part of our price range.

I think I'll just have to visit and see.

What about SLC? Is the air quality as bad as everyone says? A few pages back some guys were saying Park City is a great place to live, but I couldn't find any houses less than 700K that weren't a condo. The properties in my price range were empty lots. Also, i hear a lot of different opinions on the strong LDS influence on everything.

It's a bulletin updating the FOM. Posted above by another poster.
Keep in mind that regardless of what the FOM says the contract governs. Some new hire pilots are confusing the company policy to obtain a PS seat with the actual contractual language which is what would apply in the event of a no show.

It would be pretty hard for the company to give you a positive space pass to get to work, if your backup choices are on other airlines!

Thanks, this is the correct guidance. Either way, the unable to commute policy from DFW for a new hire is treacherous. I don't know how westbound fares, but the ATL and NYC guys I speak with all mention how hard it can be to get a ride mainline. In addition, all the DFW-NYC mainline traffic is DCI, so no reserving the JS. A new hire will have a VERY hard time hitching a ride on an RJ.

I checked both my tablet and online, the version of the FOM I listed is correct.

EDIT: NM, I see you responded above. Missed it when I quoted.

The air quality in PC won't be an issue. There won't be any LDS influence if you are in PC. It's a sea of nonconformity. There are areas that cost less surrounding PC that you might want to consider. You need to find a SLC guy to give you an overview. The cost of living is reasonable.

If you are in SLC, the LDS issue won't be a problem while your kids are smaller. But, once they are teenagers, it will affect them. Many activities will be church sponsored and your kids won't be included. I have friends with teenagers and it's a problem.

I left PC 25 years ago. I liked the skiing and the outdoor lifestyle. My wife hated the place. We moved.

Yeah, my main goal right now is finding a place my wife is happy with that I can stomach. I know Atlanta has a lot to offer but I'm not loving areas to the south and the north side is good but traffic is killer.

Decisions decisions.

If you think the traffic on the north side of Atlanta is bad, steer clear of SEA. It's horrendous. Everybody is forced into the I-5 corridor due to the water on one side and the mountains on the other. The bridges are huge bottlenecks, too.

Yep. I lived in Renton for 7 months and the main arteries become a parking lot every weekday from about 6-9 am and again from 3-7 pm. Loved the beer out there tho... best in the country. Hale's SuperGoose is da Bomb!

I'll call your SEA and raise you the 405 in LA. Brutal.;)

True, but its not just "the 405" :D - you can basically draw a 20 mile circle around LAX between 0530 and 0930 and 1430-1930 and most freeways are gridlocked. And by gridlocked I mean dead stopped - pull forward 30 feet, dead stop pull ahead 20 feet - etc. :eek:

Scoop