LAX base
 

Hello everyone, how senior is LAX base? How long does it take to hold a line there for FO and CA? Based on the quick search I've done it looks like there were lots of redeye trips there. Is that still the case or have there been any improvements?
TIA

Fairly senior. Pairings are horrendous and don’t seem to be getting much better. Lots of west coasters commute to JFK/BOS to avoid it. Who knows after the merger how things will be with the addition of NK’s LAX flying.

Thanks for the info, BeatNavy. NK and B6 have about the same amount of flying out of LAX right now, so I think it'll at least double after the merger. Any idea on how long it takes to hold a line there, FO and CA?

You are saying guys choose a trans con commute because the pairings are so bad? Our Spirit LAS pairings are nothing spectacular, but yours must take it to a new level.

Many of them shouldn’t even be legal. If more guys would fatigue them, they’d be more likely to be fixed. There’s a 5 day trip tonight in CA open time with three redeyes. There’s one 5 day in there on the 14th with 2 redeyes and 2 other nights that finish at 2-3 AM. I know of a few guys who bid in there, did it briefly, even with decent seniority, then promptly left at the first opportunity. It’s probably as bad as the worst night cargo stuff but with less pay and no pension. And commutability isn’t great either. The ones that begin with redeyes (a large chunk of them) are front side commutable, obviously, but end at 9-11pm.

They just installed a single button press fatigue call out option on our scheduling app if that tells you anything.

5 day pairings? Say what? We some 4 days with first night redeye and then day 2 and 3 are FLL-Central America red eye turns. Those trips are poor and go junior. However the rest of the pairings aren't that bad besides the normal west coast crew on the east coast routine.

We are going to have to add these issues to the list for JCBA.

I believe at AA they can have only one redeye per pairing. Not sure about UA/DL. They also don’t have carveouts for ADG for redeye turns at the big 3 like NK/B6 do. Lots to fix with work rules and “industry leading pairing construction rules” B6ALPA was so proud of and sold so hard.

I don’t care how bad the pairings are you don’t commute from LAX to the east coast to avoid them. Only an idiot would do that

If all you can hold is non stop five day redeyes vs long overnights at an all inclusive in the Caribbean? Or what about all afternoon 1 leg trips? Or a back to back two day trips that you spend in your bed with no redeyes?

Keep in mind a large amount of this commute is spent in a lie flat seat with free food and booze.