Hey where do you commute from in Cali? I'm close to SFO and have to commute since my wife is still stationed at Travis for another year. Do you actually travel to NYC to sit reserve or do you sit it at home in Ca?

Seems like that would be a gamble sitting in Cali for reserve in NYC. There are only 5 direct flights a day on Delta.

Yeah I agree I don't think I would take that gamble on probation for sure. That is a long commute anyway.

No, don't even try. Get an NYC crash pad and be there when you're on call. They can schedule you as close as 12 hours in advance. Don't chance it. Especially during probation. One strike and you'll be out.

Not to mention you're losing 3 hours in time zone change alone on the commute flight.

And always watch the wx in NYC. One CB in the wrong spot or that four letter word - snow, and the airspace just shuts down. Even the BOS and DC guys have problems then. The crashpad is an insurance policy even for BOS/DCA guys. When bad weather hits the hotels cancel and supposed airline rates and charge what the market will bear.

I commute from SMF. I keep a crash pad in NYC. Every so often, if I have at least 3 or 4 people in front of me on long call and the weather's nice in NYC, I'll hang out at home. It's rare, though. 90% of the time, scheduling assigns you a trip or a short call so you gotta head out there. Once I'm there, I just stay for the rest of my reserve days.

Like the others said above, don't even think about messing around while on probation. Just get a crashpad and make sure you're in NYC. Give yourself at least one backup flight, but ideally two!

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

Man... I would KILL for 5 direct flights on Delta from SMF!!! :)

^^^^^

If you do a little footwork you can find a nice crashpad in the Kew Gardens/Forest Hills area. It will cost you a little more to get to and from the airport, but when your hanging out there on reserve it isn't that bad of a place. I had a pad in a 4500 sq/ft house in Forest Hills that was a very nice place. There were 28 beds there, but I never saw more than 6 of us there at once. A couple blocks from Forest Park which is great for a run/walk, halfway between LGA/JFK, and great food almost any time of the day. I actually found myself kinda liking some of the crashpad days when I could sleep in, get some good breakfast, watch TV, go for a long run, walk around Forest Hills acting like I had some money, and have nothing to do except wait for a call that never came. I would stay away from the apartment pads in Kew if you can help it.

I don't know how you guys do it. I live one state away with 8 daily flights and that is bad enough. I would go insane if I had to do a transcontinental commute.