bigtime209

1. Depends on the trip. Swimsuit, gym shorts and a t shirt, running shoes that can be used for the gym and going out, a pair of jeans or shorts with a nice shirt to go out on the town in. I bring my laptop out of personal preference. Some guys just use the company iPad for Netflix and web browsing at the hotel but I like my laptop. Get a second dedicated set of toiletries that stay in your bag when you're home so you don't have to mess with it. Name of the game is packing as little as possible but still having what you need.

2. Tough but doable. You'll need a cooler to bring with you loaded up with food. Buying a Food Saver and wrapping up meals can save space. Save space in the cooler by putting only your food that needs to stay cold in it and put the non perishables in your overnight bag. You can buy ice packs and hope that your hotel fridge has a small freezer in it to refreeze overnight. Otherwise you can get some freezer bags and fill them up with ice before you leave the hotel at the beginning of the day. Lots of crew cooler bag options. A nice cooler/EFB setup is the Aerocoast Pro EFB + Cooler II Bag. It's not easy bringing food but having healthy options with you is important. And you'll save a lot of money as well.

ORDinary

Everyone who works here has it on their ipad. It is also on myenvoy site, and alpa.org, both for employees only.

highfarfast

Another positive vote for the Aerocoast Pro EFB + Cooler II from me. If you want to be healthy-ish, bringing your own food is a must as far as I'm concerned. Nothing healthy about eating out for 4 straight days and that cooler will handle all you need and then some with some planning.

There is a number of threads on the this forum covering tips for how to pack food and what kinds of food work but I'd bet everyone that does it does it different. Look through those threads for ideas and figure out what works for you. I like just making a little extra each meal at home and setting it aside for trips. But I like my and my wife's cooking.

Propwash72

Will old-school David Clarks fit in the aerocoast cooler? That's the limiting factor for me. I'd really like to go from 3 bags to 2

highfarfast

No. Not the DC head clamps I'm familiar with unless you put it in the cooling section itself. When I was shopping for the cooler, I did see some reviews that mentioned being able to put certain headsets in the top (non-cooler) compartment though.

If you're committed to carrying around head clamps, er uh, I mean David Clarks, and traveling with 2 bags, this bag is not for you.

That said, I'm not sure there is a cooling bag that is friendly to the DCs.

402FreightDog

Do most of the hotels you stay at have breakfast or are you on the shuttle van before they start serving?

bigtime209

Hit and miss on free breakfast. Sometimes you're on the van to the airport before they start serving, sometimes you've got all morning to catch breakfast. Just depends. Generally, the nicer the hotel the less likely you'll find a free breakfast. Lots of places we stay at have the basic continental breakfast. And a few have a free, tasty hot breakfast. Our Mexico hotels have some of the best breakfasts in the system.

bigtime209

No. Those huge, clunky headsets won't fit in the vast majority of EFB bags. I'd highly recommend getting a headset that's more compact and comfortable. If you don't wanna drop the money, then just use the company David Clarks that stay on the aircraft.

jrmorgan9280

I start class in the March 27th class. I am hoping to get the 145, I am 27. Can anyone shed some light on how quickly I might be able to get DFW base. I live in the DFW area and hoping to get back here as soon as possible but sounds like i'll get LGA to start with. Do y'all think I will have a good chance at the 145?

TeeRainPULup

Yes as long as you get the 145 or 175 you will always have a chance to get back to DFW. Most people are getting DFW on the 145 before they finish training. I think your chances are really good on that happening. Just make sure you have your vacancy bid correct after you begin training.