Are you saying that if I was not called during a few days while on reserve, there exists the possibility I may have to work on one of my days off in order to have the 11 days minimum days off?

Seeing that 50 seaters are on the decline, do you think Commutair has a reasonably safe niche market and would survive the downsizing trend?

 

Again, speaking for CommutAir, you are either a line holder or a reserve, not both. Some companies have hybrid lines but we are not one of them. After schedules are posted, reserve pilots do have an option to pick up open (unassigned) time and replace some of their reserve days during the "line improvement period."

The least desirable lines are usually "stand-ups." That's where you fly the last flight out at night, spend a few hours in the hotel, and fly the first flight back to base in the morning. These are legal because your duty time starts at night and you are on duty all night. Then when you fly back in in the morning you are released into "rest."

Bidding for reserve, or as a line holder for that matter, all boils down to seniority. The more senior, the better. We use a PBS system that is done via a computer program. You put in preferences then the computer builds lines in seniority order. The higher your seniority, the more likely it will be that your preferences are honored.

You get 11 hard days off a month. That means no obligation to work or be on call. If you are on a reserve day and you are not used, that still counts as a work day by the contract and by the FAR's. You are on a Reserve Availability Period and therefore considered to be working.

My personal opinion is that the 50-seat jet market is in for some rough times ahead. There is still a market for them, but it is shrinking as mainline is taking back some of that flying. Turbo-props are very cost effective. The Dash8 burns about 1400 lb/hr in cruise whereas the CRJ-200 is closer to 3,000 lb/hr if I remember correctly. That's pretty significant. We seem to be trucking along and United seems pretty happy with our operation. Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

 

Can anyone share their experiences commuting to the NY or DC area from MCO, TPA or RSW and share which airport, airlines and routes would be recommended?

 

passrider.com

 

Thanks for the passrider website, saw the airline options and routes.

Can anyone share their commuting experience to the NY or DC area from MCO, TPA or RSW? What options are potentially more successful at what times and what options to avoid due to heavy loads keeping in mind Florida traffic is very seasonal.

 

If you have a line, is it possible to occasionally pick up an open trip from your local major airport to your domicile if that route is in your airline's network? I guess what I am asking is, do ALL trips (except deadheading) have to begin and end in domicile?

Are you paid per diem while on reserve?

Still hope one of you guys can share your experiences and suggestions about the commute to NY and DC out of MCO, TPA and RSW.

 

Commuting to/from Florida is notoriously difficult because so many pilots and flight attendants do it. Plus, you're traveling on mainline, so you are (usually) just above people using buddy passes. Add to that the fact that summer storms wreak havoc with the schedule, combined with seasonal issues (spring break), and you have a recipe for headaches. If your airline has a commuter clause (that is, if they don't punish you for commuting), it helps.

MCO is usually the hardest, but JB offers a lot of flights....that often have several of their own commuters. RSW will be the hardest because it will often be a 2-leg commute, and there isn't nearly as much direct service to the northeast.

The trick to Florida is getting across the state line in either direction, but as a junior regional pilot, expect to waste an awful lot of time commuting. If you can move closer to base, or to a city with a better commute, then do so.

As far as picking up flights into/out of domicile (some call them jetbridge trades), every airline is different about that. Some are very accommodating, and some are not. Most of the time, as long as it's legal per the FARs and the contract, they won't care. Keep in mind that a lot of pilots tend to trade with the same small cadre of other pilots, and it can be tough to break into that group, since those guys are often looking out for each other.

Generally speaking the trips will begin and end in domicile, but if a trip ends or starts with a DH, you can usually drop the DH (it opens up a seat the company can sell). If a pilot is looking to drop a leg or two or three to get home, you might be able to pick them up. Again, it has to be legal, and it can't compromise another assignment you have. I can't speak for the airlines you've asked about, but generally, Scheduling has some leeway to allow this sort of thing to happen because so many pilots commute.

Per diem is only paid when you are working, so when you are just sitting on reserve, you won't get paid per diem. Some airlines pay per diem for 1-day trips (out-and-backs), but many do not. Per diem on 1-days is taxable, whereas per diem on IRS-defined overnight trips is not. Per diem IS NOT part of your salary, and is not intended to give you "extra earnings;" it is simply a reimbursement for reasonable food expenses. If you are smart and aggressive, you can, however, pocket a lot of that money. If you don't take food, and eat when you're hungry, you won't see a lot extra money in your checking account. You can also get creative on your taxes and increase your per diem allowances, but that's a different topic for a different day.

Hope that helps...

 

Thanks, appreciate it.