Fdxlag2

You can also buy non refundable tickets with your company credit card. I don’t do it often, and it is a gamble. But some months you can either be be guaranteed short $200 bucks buy buying global travel tickets or risk owing $200 by buying a non refundable ticket directly from American.

PostalAV8B

Thanks again. I copy all above.

max8222

To save some hassle, instead of using your credit card and buying directly from the airline, ask Corp travel to look up non refundable ticket price and book it through them. Usually same as you can get online.

BlueMoon

Is there any issue with deviating to a different airport in the same area? Example, have a DH to Burbank, but not many flight options. So I’d rather go into Lax and just uber it over.

BlueMoon

Both times I’ve done this Corp travel had even cheaper fares than I saw on the airlines website.

Fdxlag2

You can just about expense any travel expense within three days of a FDX. So yes it is ok. I frequently fly into SJC instead of OAK and uber up.

Pcolapilot

How would a Seattle commute work for a new hire? Would MEM or ANC work better?

Thanks!

Adlerdriver

In general, SEA should work as well as any larger city commute at FedEx. MEM vs ANC is going to come down to your particular lifestyle, your tolerance for being junior and the kind of flying you would like to do. Flight times enroute will be similar, but FedEx jumpseat options will be fewer to ANC.

MEM (or IND) - There are flights on our own metal in both directions most days you would need them. You'll also have reasonable options for pax carrier deadheads domestically and internationally. The east bound commute through two time zones will use more of your day when it's time to go to work. Lack of non-stop airline service to MEM is a negative.

ANC - I commuted there from the lower 48 for about 7 years and really liked it. It's a far more senior base than MEM, so I expect your QOL would possibly suffer longer than being based in MEM. The only aircraft based there is the MD-11. Crashpads tend to be a bit more expensive there and digging your ANC car out of a snow bank after being gone for two weeks will get old. Once you can hold a line, you will be able to use hotel vans and ditch both the pad and car. On the plus side, all the flying is considered "international" by our contract, so that's an extra $8/hour on each hour you're paid. A large majority of the trips will start with flights to Asia. There is a pretty good mix of single trip per month schedules and those with more trips (i.e. more commutes) each month. There are also trips that start with a deadhead which will reduce your requirement to actually commute to ANC to start each trip. Those go senior, so getting them will be a matter of luck at first.

Getting to ANC from SEA can be an issue depending on the time of year and how you do it. We just added a SEA-ANC 777 flight, so that's a pretty reliable method as long it continues. There are plenty of non-stops on AS each day as well, so you'll have a good number of back-ups. You'll probably find that you will have to commute up the day prior for many of the Asia trips. We have no flights coming back, so you'll be relying on AS flights to get home. SEA can be a bottle neck for commuters trying to get to ANC. I've connected with a paid ticket and seen UPS, Alaska and other pilots all competing for the same jumpseat. Of all the FedEx ANC commuters from the lower 48, I would guess SEA makes up a large part of that population because it's easier than many other locations. Because of that, I think many guys choose to buy a discounted ticket through our travel department whether they have the travel money or not. With the new 777 flight, that may change but after a 12 day trip, having to fight to get home on an offline jumpseat isn't a great option.

Pcolapilot

Thanks for the great info!

EP3driver

The Seattle commute is not bad. I have been doing it for just over a year now and have had zero issues getting to work. There are typically two morning and 1-2 evening flights to Memphis each day. The first flight in the morning is usually full but I haven't seen both flights full although I am sure it is occasionally. Getting back to Seattle from Memphis is even easier. The MD-11 is the normal ride but the 777 has increased the number of flights going in and out of Seattle. The Airbus and 757 have occasional flights as well. You can get Seatac employee parking for $75/month with a shuttle that drops off and picks up at the FedEx ramp. You can get reimbursed for the parking cost as long as you have the travel bank to do it. I have had it all year and have not paid anything out of pocket.