JulesWinfield

2.5 hour drive isn’t bad, but living closer is way more ideal.

KnightNight

If possible, rent for a few months and see if you like it .

living in base is huge, you’re home more and in my opinion your seniority is better since commuters have to filter their trip selection. A lot less stress. With certain locations / airlines living in base can also offer opportunities outside of flying the line if you’re into that.

Crockrocket95

2 hour drive is what I do now, its not ideal but its better than driving to an airport, listing, hoping the JS is open, hoping the plane doesnt have an issue, hoping its on time. Then spending 5 hours if im luckly just to get to work 3 hours early to walk into the pilots lounge andf sit for 2 more hours. Then after I get slung around the system probably burn a hotel on one end because the flight schedules dont line up, then I get up super early, or stay up super late, sit at the airport for 3 more hours waiting for the flight back home. Hoping the JS is open, or the flight is somewhat on time and doesnt have issues. Then get back home either a day late or after being up for 30 hours... Sure doing it once in a while wont hurt. Imagine that at least once a week. It gets OLD fast.

Drive to work, and youll be happier because of it. Even if the drive is 2 hours each way its better than commuting. Unless you love stress and airport sitting.

You wont care as much if youre 2 hours delayed, or if you have MX issues. You KNOW your car will be there. You know you dont have to sweat having the stars line up, or if the guys are gonna push early as youre running to whatever gate that is never right next door.

aventhusiast

I’m currently driving almost 4 hrs to base because I stress too much over the airplane commute. Its a whole different job when you aren’t commuting. Even though 2.5 isn’t a bad drive I would try to be closer unless you have a compelling reason to be that far out. If you do, just get a rotation of podcasts and audiobooks and accept that it will be harder to pick up extra flying last minute to bump up your pay. With no attachments otherwise it seems like an easy choice.

myrkridia

You're bound to get a wide range of answers because, as you point out, worth is subjective.

I've been a commuter for two different airlines and lived in base for one of them. There's only one reason I commute or would recommend anyone commute: family. My wife and kids are happy where we live and I don't want to mess with that unless my wife is 100% on board with moving.

There are commuters who don't stress a whole lot about getting to work or getting back home. There's always another flight. On the other hand, some really let it get to them and it shows. The commute you describe doesn't sound too bad, you have options in a pinch.

VacancyBid

This is like asking if you should get divorced or have your right foot amputated.

People do these things. They survive.

But when given a choice, when it can be avoided ... you don't.

Same with commuting

Otterbox

2.5hr drive is doable. Would not fly it unless in a pinch (car broke you can Uber to the airport and deal with it later etc.), because you have so much more control of your life driving. I'd say go for where you want to live. Do a long term Airbnb (they give discount rates) to see how you like it before you commit to a year long lease or purchase of a place. Either way, if this company is a career destination, after doing it for a year or two and deciding you don't like the drive you can always move back closer to base.

CX500T

So I'm a commuter who is moving close to but not super close to a base (NYC).

I commute out of Norfolk (ORF) and we used to have a ton of flights, now it's 3-5 actual opportunities and I've been driving more in the last year than in the previous 7. 370 miles one way from my house to JFK parking.

Without knowing who you work for, what their hub and rules are, and what cities you are considering, it's hard to give good advice.

In my case, when we had 12 hour long call I could sit it at home (most calls were 15+ hours anyways) because we had 15 or so flights to the NYC metro between DL and AA to JFK/LGA and UA to EWR. Now it's about half that, but the timing makes it so it's often only 3 viable flights a day, because the DL to JFK is 0630, LGA is 0645 and AA to JFK is 0700, and then simialr at noon. Upside, no more ERJ-145 commutes, downside of everythign being 175s and CRJ-900s is much reduced frequency. 8 years ago I could wholeheartedly reccomend commuting out of here because the flights were plentiful enough that you could commute in day of and make it home that night with anything after a 1000 report or before a 2000 release.

Now also, keep in mind with our jobs, depending on fleet, you may only have to go in 3-5 times a month.

In my case, I told my wife anywhere in short call on the couch range is OK, andd for DL that means "promptly available" to the closest of the three airports in the NYC base. (LA is to LAX only, so if there, beware of that) so I drew a 2 hour drive map from EWR and LGA and basically look in those areas.

But again, me on a quasi-widebody fleet that does mostly longer trips, (757/767) a 2 hour drive in 3-4 times a month is still faster than the fastest legal air commute. In ORF I basically have to be getting in the car no less than 1:30 to departure, before my primary flight, which depending on if I use the PWA or FOM policy, needs to be reasonable or 2 hours from my backup flight, which still gets me in before report.. Assuming the perfect report and just 2 hours between flights presents itself, 1:30 gate to gate, plus 1:30 to gate from couch, plus 2 hours (FOM policy), is at best a 5 hour prior to report leaving my house. If it's an EWR trip more like 7 because I have to bake in ground time from LGA or JFK to EWR. (even before reduction in flights I would drive to EWR rotations, it's a 6 hour drive house to KCM)

But this would be 100% different if you were say looking at a MIA vs MCO base at another carrier with different rules.

To give you a better answer, we need more data.

CBreezy

Thanks for a rational post. Too many people here are injecting way too much emotion into this, including one who is comparing commuting with cutting your leg off.

Commuting is a mindset and if you have a positive attitude, it really is just as doable as not commuting. It really wasn't even a decision for me. If I chose to move to base, I would be uprooting my family from our support system. We have family close and an established network of friends. There is nothing more selfish than moving your family to a place they know no one and spend half the month away from them...all so it's just a little easier to get to work and have slightly better trips.

Hedley

I drive 1.75 hours to the nearest airport and then commute. It is a giant pain in the butt, but absolutely worth it. Driving to and from work when I lived in base was nice, but my family and myself were miserable living in the burbs near a major city. We now live in the middle of nowhere, no neighbors, no traffic, no stress. I basically live in what I'd call my vacation house. I'd much rather be exactly where I want on my days off than have a short drive to work and be unhappy when I'm home. If you are someone who can be happy living in or near a major city, by all means live in base. If you're not, then commuting is absolutely worth it. Choices are nice.