I am starting class on Oct 15th, and live in D.C. The commute should not be too bad for me. I have a good last four of my ss number (9051), so I should be high up on the pick. I am leaning towards NY MD-88 is order to hold a line quickly. My wife has a well paying job, so income is not critical to the decision. Any arguments for selecting JFK ER instead?

Best/Worst Layovers for JFK ER
 

What are the best and least favorite layover destinations for the 76ER guys out of JFK? Just talking about the actual destinations/hotels/cultural value vs. the money made on the trips.

How would you rank some of the destinations in terms of attractive layover from a non-monetary perspective?

Thanks

Nearly all of them are good when money is not a factor.

Guys tend to avoid Accra due to lack of things to do there/ climate/ tropical disease potential. Sao Paulo is often avoided due to the hours at which the flight operates. Some guys avoid London due to the unfavorable exchange rate, as well as the layover location (not in London).

Beyond that, it comes down to personal preference. They all have something to offer, and the hotels are generally very good. I haven't seen a bad layover yet.

My favorites: Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Budapest, Kiev, Venice. Moscow is interesting once in a while.

Awesome. Finally what I asked for. So much chaff on this website it just takes awhile to get some input. Thanks Flare.

We just had the scheduling class, so I'm going to be leaning hard on the green/yellow slips and inverse assignments. Glad they're working. I've got a reserve job so I'm going to have to juggle a couple jobs. I'll see if it works. Prof and I will see you out on the line in January.
G99

Every pick comes down to your personal needs, but believe me, your personal needs will take a back seat to your ego when the time comes. If you're in NY then I wouldn't worry about holding a line. I'd be looking at a way to not beat the crap out of yourself (i.e. up-down-up-down-up-down...welcome to the shuttle). If you manage your reserve line on the 7ER you can work less than a shuttle guy (that is be home more). 18 days on reserve can turn into 14 with green slips. If you pass on the ER and you don't like the 88 and the spots fill up, your stuck. If you take the ER and don't like it, I guarantee you'll get the 88 on the next bid. Give the ER a shot. Budapest, Spain, Italy, Moscow, Brazil, etc. YGTBSM!! Are you smoking crack.

Anyway...did I say it was a matter of personal preference? Bid what you want and want what you bid.

G99

Gretzky, thanks for the input.

I don't live in NY. I live in Washington, D.C. I've been told that I can do long reserve from home in Washington. Also, I have relatives that live within 2 hours of JFK that I can stay with for short call. That is nice, but it's still not home with my wife and kid. Another thing to consider is the MD-88 shuttle does a lot of overnights in DC. Also, If the reserves are getting called up all the time, does it really matter if you hold a line or not? What's the better quality of life? MD-88 or 767ER?

Opinons?

(1)All of the 767ER trips are a same day commute, whereas many of the domestic trips will involve a hotel stay on one end or the other.

(2) You'll be working hard in the right seat of a Maddog- even if you have some seniority. You'll also be dragging your bags from one end of ATL to the other, waaay too often.

(3)The beer in Frankfurt, Germany is better than the beer in Frankfort, Kentucky

Should be #1, then no need for any other comments. :)

The shuttle will do a lot of overnights in DC. You have a good chance of sleeping in your own bed a lot. The reserves are getting used, as you said. The difference between holding a line and not is the quality of the trips. On reserve you will get lots of broken trips. If a three day trip, for example, is in open time scheduling does not have to give a reserve the trip as it was built. They can break it up. A line holder is assured an average of 5:15 per duty period. Not so for a reserve. On reserve you will end up with lots of trips where you only fly one or two legs in a duty period and end up with 3 hours of pay for that day. Bottom line.....on reserve you will fly more than a line holder but get paid less.

Xray,

Is what you are saying about broken trips for MD-88, ER, or both?