Or go to DFW. I always avoided YEG since you can't take food with you.

 

As a DFW native born and raised we usually get 1 or 2 ice storms lasting a few days once a year. The best bet would be around December or January.

 

What are the trips like from DFW? 2/3/4 days? Is it just DFW to an out station then back to DFW or do you get out into the rest of the system as well?

 

I applaud your maturity. Trust me, the last place you want to be is left seat landing at YYZ at mins in a snowstorm with a 20 knot crosswind with braking action reported as poor with a terrified FO who just got done telling you this is his first trip off IOE and he has exactly 1000 hours with a R-ATP and has never flown outside of SoCal.....

 

March 2014 with Tinman.

 

Maybe because I grew up in the North East, and got tons of experience driving in the snow, that I personally do not think that winter operations are really that big of a deal. Follow the procedures, be smart about taxiing on slippery area's, and give yourself more than enough room. During my CA IOE, I got to fly out of CLT and in the middle of winter operations. I am grateful for that experience, but I really gotta tell you, I think it requires much more thinking, planning, and being on top of your game dodging summer thunderstorms in and around DFW. Especially with fuel loads, and re-routes. You really need to be thinking like a captain to avoid fuel emergencies. ALWAYS contact dispatch if you get a reroute while taxiing to the runway. I'd say that it is much easier to find yourself in a hole with summer flying than in winter flying.
By no means take this as advice on holding off from upgrading. Do what you feel is best for you.

 

Glad I get to use this again

 

Where did I say summer T-Storm flying was less of a threat than winter flying. The guy made a comment about not having much winter experience.

I'm also a northeaster and as an FO I flew with a lot of new upgrades who had spent their entire FO career in the PHX system. To some of those guys/gals, winter ops was a huge deal and sometimes they appeared to barely be able to keep their head above water in winter situations.

 

I am thinking about going to Mesa. What are the flight benefits with AA? Are they going to change as US/AA merger rolls along?

 

Zero flight benefits with AA other than jumpseating privileges. Even then you'd be lower than the guy who walks the dog of the ex-wife of a retired AA employee.

No word yet on any sort of flight benefits with AA coming our way yet.