Thank you , So maybe a good strategy would be to go to CVG for shortest reserve, get a line, then at some point bid for my preferred base, like TYS or CLT. since i live close to either of those. All advice welcome since I am extreme newbie!

I wish I had done it that way when I started. I bid CLT right out of the gates and got it out of training. Only reason I wanted CLT was for a one leg commute. However, at the time, that meant me being on reserve for longer than any other base and when I finally did get a line, it was a measly round 2 line (which I'm sure the specifics of a round 2 line have been discussed in previous posts). So what did all this mean? Well for one, I got paid less because I was only getting the 75 guarantee and my per diem was low because you don't get paid per diem unless you're on a trip (or hot reserve). For two, my schedule was nothing to be envious of due to the fact that the reserve lines pretty much had the minimum of 11 days off per month. So aside from swapping reserve days around, I was stuck with only 11 days off per month. Lastly, I had to pay for a crash pad (prior to $250 a month for hotels btw) to have a place to sit/sleep while I was on reserve. All this being said, if I had to do it over again I would bid for a junior base in order to get a round 1 line quicker and eradicate most of the negatives about being on reserve with the only drawback of....having to do a two leg commute. One last thing, the less time you sit reserve, the quicker you build your hours towards being eligible for upgrade. It's not an issue for me fortunately, but seeing how upgrades are ramping up again, you wouldn't want to be stuck trying to get your 1,000 hours when your number comes up for upgrade (assuming you're "ready" for upgrade). Just my .02 cents on the matter.

Thank you Rob0015. That sounds like really wise advice. I am asking a lot of newbie questions here I know, but just want to make smart career decisions. I know TYS might not be the best QOL, but since it is close to home, I think if I went to CVG first like you recommend for shortest reserve,, then eventually hold line in TYS, that would not be such a bad deal.

Reserve isn't bad at all if you live in base, but an easy commute to a R1 line is worth it with the SAP.

So 4-6 months from now, how long of reserve time do you think TYS would be?? compared to CVG

No one knows that, unfortunately. It just depends on attrition, hiring, and what lines ASG adds for us.

TYS is a fairly small base, but some captains there will be flowing this summer. In theory, some TYS FOs will upgrade and want those spots, so the should free things up some.

Agreed, living in base or within a couple hours drive would make reserve very tolerable and I would without a question bid for that base to avoid commuting. I guess my situation is coming from the commuter perspective. If you already have to commute, than I would have taken the two leg to gain the advantages of a RND 1 line. But hindsight is 20/20 and by the time I figured that out I was knocking on the door of a RND 1 line in CLT and didn't want to mess with it.

Why do you say that? :confused:

TYS is currently, has been, and will likely remain very senior. Right now I think the lowest Rd1 line holder is 1.6 years. Most of the people there live there or driving distance and they like it. Hell, I loved it for the 6 months I was there. Crews are great, airport is great (small and convenient) its really a great place overall. Only reason I left was for the Rd1 line. Its been worth it so far, considering that at TYS on reserve all I ever had was 11 days off, now Im easily holding 18 days off and still crediting 70+ hours.

Commute ATL to CVG?
 

I'm still in training, but already drew CVG as my first base assignment. I live in ATL.

CLT is presently my number one bid preference, and I'm told I can expect to get it soon enough. Commuting from ATL, there's at least 15 direct flights per day (AA and DL) to CLT. And, of course, I can always drive. But, I'm wondering whether I should keep CVG because of the comparatively shorter reserve time. What do those in-the-know think about an ATL to CVG commute? DL has about 7 non-stop flights each day. AA is a two-leg trip for me.