Right now my DEC classmates are getting lines in Chicago and Phoenix and I can only hold reserve in Dallas after a year. Miami is the most senior base for captains. This is always subject to change.

Airport standby can be bid on a monthly basis, but you cannot be assigned a month of airport standby if you do not bid for it. Reserves also get to bid daily on their next day's assignment on reserve days. If there is open time, it is assigned from most senior to least senior, and if it has a late start, you are not responsible for being there or answering the phone until your report time. Airport standby is also assigned daily for the next day. It goes first to anyone who bid for a monthly line of it, next to the most senior person who bid for it, and next to the most junior person available. There are worse things than being paid to sit around doing anything you want, but yes, it is frustrating. As you move up the reserve list you get called for airport standby less and less. For awhile I wasn't getting assigned standby at all but they did call me in for it three weeks ago. I was fairly senior in my new hire class due to how much part 121 time I had and wasn't called for standby as much as the more junior people.

I commute to reserve, and yes, it's frustrating, especially when there is weather. DFW practically grinds to a halt anytime there are thunderstorms nearby. I do move my reserve days around to minimize my trips to DFW and maximize days off in a row, and sometimes drop reserve days for a reduction in pay. Some flight attendants bunch all their trips close together and commute to places like Puerto Rico. I'm still hoping to get a job with a base at my home airport. If that's not an option for you, you're going to have to consider whether it is worth commuting or moving. If it was an easy job it wouldn't pay as well.