Delta commute to JFK
 

Quick question as I await my class date. Seems like the majority of new hires are going to the 767-300 ER out of New York. Having learned a little about the reserve system and how it works, is the 767ER out of JFK commutable from Atlanta as a new hire sitting on reserve? Can it be done without crashpadding? Or is that required? Are the short-calls back to back or intermixed throughout the reserve period? Seems like most of the international departures are in the afternoon/evening timeframe.

Thanks in advance for the advice and lessons learned. I'm just trying to gain as much knowledge before I have to make a decision on aircraft/base selection. Thanks again.

Yes. Not really. Totally random.

Earliest departure right now is 1020. but just one. Most of the rest are afternoon/evening pushes.

I would expect to see a glut of 88's ATL showing up in newhire classes soon. Both the NY ER and ATL 88 are very short.

Thanks professor. Do you think the push for 88's out of Atlanta will be after the next AE? In your opinion, how long to hold a line on the 88 in ATL? I'm projected to start first class in March. The last few classes have been 24 out of 31 JFK, with 13 ERs and 11 88s. Seems to be alot of movement right now. Just want to make sure I make an educated move come bid time. Thanks again.

Phantom,

It changes with the season and especially with the staffing levels. I was reserve this past summer and ended up wasting alot of money on a crash pad (used it 3 times in 5 months). Now with the combination of better staffing & reduced winter flying, you would definately want to have one (average pad up there is appx. $250 a month and hotel is appx $100 a night). I'm holding a line now but not by much, so I'm holding on to my pad because even as a bootom line holder you don't have much control over your trips. You can end up with back to back trips and depending on your commute, it may be more trouble than it's worth to run home for the night. Matter of fact, with no 30 in 7, you could do back to back to back to back. Pretty unlikely, but could happen.

Having said that, after holding a line for 3 months now, I've been to my pad only once in that time frame. ($750 vs. $100) so I don't know how long I can continue to stomach that. My advice would be if you're going to stay up there, get a pad and play the game for a while and see how it plays out.

Oh, as far as short call. Never saw it in the summer. We were just to busy with not enough bodies so you were always working. When things are slow and/or staffing is better, different story. They'll use it to the max 8 times they're contractually allowed and they'll back to back it. You'll be on short call from today at 1300 till tomorrow at 1300. Tonight at about 2000 they'll call you and say that you are released at 0200 and start another short call tomorrow at 1300. Rinse...repeat....rinse...repeat...etc.

Welcome to NY:D

Jay5150,

Thanks for the feedback. Helps to hear it from folks that have gone through it.

MD88 line in NYC has been running what, about 3-4 months? How about junior lineholder MD-88 in ATL?

I'm just finishing up 88 in NYC. I did IOE in Nov, sat reserve in Dec and held a line in Jan. Without a crashpad I would have spent easily $2000 on hotels. I had 6 short calls in Dec. They seemed to run either 0300-1500, 0600 to 1800 or 0900-2100. The first two you have to get in place the night before if you are a commuter. My line in Jan was several one day trips seperated by one day off. Example, I finished one night at 2339, had the next day off followed by a 0715 show the next day. Not worth going home, so again several nights needing a room. I'm sure it changes with staffing adn time of year, but the advice to at least start off with a crashpad and see how it goes is sound. Also, around the holidays, Nov-Dec I never found a hotel room under $150. I wouldn't plan on being able to commute without a crashpad.

ER's definitely commutable. I've gone home for the night even on back-to-back trips if the weather's nice. The UK stuff you'll be flying the majority of the time as a new hire on reserve are > 1730 reports and < 1300 releases for the most part. And I live in JAX. If I was in ATL, it would be even easier. Plan to go in and out of LGA, though, as the JFK-ATL flights are pretty thin. Kew Gardens Cab (718-846-6666) will take you between the two airports for $18, and there are always other commuters to split it with. Takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic. I don't have a crash pad and don't plan on getting one. So far, I've spent one night up there, and that was because I was intercepting an ATL 767 domestic trip mid-cycle for OE, so it was a rare morning departure.

What's the flying like on the ER? Is a relief crewmwmber on those UK flights?

According to today's conference call, those flights are working out very well for Delta with most of the revenue coming in from offshore.

From what I know Delta only uses 2 pilots on the UK flights, correct me if I am wrong.

If you ask the ER International guys how the flying is, I think you won't hear any complaining. Delta runs Europe Im sorry to say, Im sure they are making a huge revenue with the European flying.