Q for NJ pilots based in LA. How often do you end a trip in or around LA? I know the domicile has nothing to do with your daily schedule, but I am curious if there is any thought given to your last day and your base. I'm trying to gauge as a commuter if I'll need to plan on buying a return ticket from LA to home, or if I can plan on being away from LA on the last day and have them return me home vice LA...

 

I believe you can airline wherever you want on your last day but you have to pay the difference if the ticket is more than the fare to LAX.

 

I'm wondering how often one ends up close to their base. Do commeters buy one way tickets or RT tickets to commute to domicile?

 

Unfortunately, not very often man. In more than two years at NJ, I've done it twice. However, LA is probably the best place for that. You've got LAX, VNY, SMO, BUR, and SNA. We do a lot of business out of those airports. Living in the LA area, you'll probably airline less than the rest of us, but still, be ready to airline home a lot.

 

That actually sounds good. I will be commuting to LA via airline on my own dime. That's why I was asking the Q about the frequency of ending a trip in LA. If I understand you correctly, only twice in two years did you end a trip in LA? So hopefully wherever I end a trip (not LA) I can work the company paid airline ticket home (minus the difference of the ticket if any) vice flying to LA then home on my own dime from LA.

Thanks,

 

The problem is what do you do when you do end in the LA area. They will limo you to LAX if you end at one of the other airports and then you find your own way home. This will probably be a last minute airfare. I've heard TEB is the place that starts and ends the most out of all the new domiciles and that LAX is second. The other 3 are almost nevers. I'm CMH and have airlined about 80 percent of the time. You should be able to get good airfares on Southwest into LAX at the begining of your tours once your on 7 and 7 since you will know your schedule so far in advance, but you will bite the bullet those rare times you end near LAX. Good luck. There have been over 80 post contract pilots who have left and the commute was the most common reason. I really do hope you can make it work and that the company comes to their senses and opens some more domiciles to stem the losses, but they really don't seem to bat an eyelash over throwing away millions of dollars here especially with the record profits. You will see waste here that will blow your mind.

 

Jtf560,
Once you are on your last day, either 7/7 or reserves, can you volunteer for an extra day of duty? If in a domicile as a commuter, maybe that extra day will put you away and the company will fly you home...

 

You can always tell them you are willing to extend, but lately it hasn't been happening much. The most likely extending is when they either put out an email looking for pilots to extend or when they screw up and don't get you home by midnight or within 14 hours or duty on day seven. Most likely if you are ending within 150 miles of LAX you will be out of luck (150 miles is the limit for making you take a rental car). I would highly suggest getting on 7 and 7 ASAP if you are going to be commuting- especially via airline since if you get stuck in domicile on your last day, you will not be getting the cheapest of tickets home. Good luck working it out. The job is great as long as you can take being gone 7 days and can deal with living or commuting to one of the current 5 domiciles. You will eventually have more options, but don't bet on it being soon, or you will be like the other 80+ who had enough of the domicile system.

 

Jtf560,
Any idea how soon a newhire could get a 7/7 schedule in LA? Fairly soon after IOE?

 

There are very few here who are junior assigned to the reserve schedule. Mostly they are on the BBJ and Falcon 2000EX. I believe you are eligible to bid for a schedule as soon as you either start IOE or 2 weeks after you are done with indoc and sim if you haven't started IOE yet (very unlikely to get started on IOE that quickly). The bids are typically during the first month of the quarter before the one the bid is for (we bid on 3rd quarter schedules last month- the first month of the second schedule quarter). The 4 quarters are Feb-Apr, May-July, Aug-Oct, and Nov-Jan. I started in early Jan of '06 and could have held 7 and 7 by May 1st, but I chose to stay on reserve a little longer for the higher pay last year. Most likely you will not be all the way done with IOE by the time you can hold 7 + 7, but I'm really not sure how backed up the system is now. We didn't hire many people in the beginning of this year or upgrade many pilots either so that the training department could get back on track. Things are picking up again now for both so they are probably better prepared to get people online quicker now, but I really don't know for sure.