All of this. Even though our profession is a high-paying one, it’s not worth it (to me) to commute for years. I fly with guys who do, and they don’t seem unhappy, but it boggles my mind to think that they have been doing it for many years already, and that’s all they have in front of them until they retire. Not worth it to me at all.

Live in base, no matter where you work. Even if it’s at a lower hourly rate, you will make it up in time saved. One thing I don’t think too many pilots do is calculate their hourly wages with a commute built in. Try it some time, it may surprise you.

If anyone is so unhappy working in this profession, hopefully you have some skills to allow you to change jobs and be happier.

 

What base/seat is this if you don’t mind me asking?

 

I absolutely love where I live. Can’t have what I have any where else in the world. No amount of money would be worth it to live in any major airlines base.

 

My commute is easy and I don't mind it a bit. I have always commuted. I would rather personally to drive pencils into my eyeballs at high rates of speed the live in any of our bases. I like going to work I love going home. Now if DCA was ever a base.....forget pencil remarks.

 

Tell me if I’m getting bogus info off of the interwebs, but if we WAY oversimplify this and look at hourly rates and profit sharing right here right now in June 2019 not, “well in 2044 he could be a 777 Skipper”. I’m seeing AA is getting $12ish/hr more than a JB pilot on the 320 and from the article I found the same 2% in profit sharing? (Seems lower than I thought) At 75 hour gurantee that’s $10,800 per year more to fly the 320 over there. Kudos to those hard working fellas but not in a different league. Though they obviously also have a So Florida base, but I don’t think they are in the running for the OP otherwise this thread probably wouldn’t exist.

UAL has a stronger case at $17ish/hr more and 6% profit sharing?? Call it $23k per year more than a JB 320 driver. That’s a gap we should certainly aspire to close but I’d still take driving to work in FLL at Jetblue than risk commuting to EWR, IAH or ORD for 3 decades.

DAL obviously has the strongest case because of the awesome PS payout of 14% last year and $17ish/Hour more. Call that $43k per year more or 1.3 million more over a 30 year career. The Delta number would seriously give me pause and entertain commuting but that PS would have to continue on like this for 30+ years....no way anyone can predict If that will be the case. But the other two? Nah I’ll drive to work and love every minute of it.

*I’m not advocating to settle for less at JB or for JB pilots not to push for industry leading on the next round of negotiations, just trying to help the OP out with what I think are somewhat realistic raw numbers*

 

You are missing the biggest point. Just having widebodoes on property makes you jump up in seniority 30 ish% a lot of guys would rather be a widebody fo then 320 cpt

 

I hear ya on the Fat Bodies. I was just looking at raw earning numbers on the common fleet. Seniority is huge in getting your days off and of course making extra money. But like some preferring WB FO over NB CA some would prefer to be the plug in their home base than top 25% in a base halfway or all the way in fact, Across the country.

Not disagreeing with you, just explaining my thoughts.

 

jfk 320 fo

 

I agree with you 100%. And probably live in a completely different locale with totally dissimilar hobbies. And that is part of the beauty of this career field, so many can be accommodated. Even Hyperboy, though I now have serious doubts about his sanity based on his area of residence.

 

This is what we call senior. With out movement it won't be the OP.