Truth about Commuting
 

If I get a job at XJT and manage to get IAH, I might have to commute from TUS (for a year or two).

A look at the schedule shows 10+ flights on Continental from TUS to IAH everyday. If am trapped in TUS due to weather or a bent jet; how does the company treat that? Are commuters protected? Or would that be a late or no-show?

So would I really be looking at staying in a hotel/crash pad the night before a trip was to begin?

thanks for the help.

XJT does have a commuter policy that protects you if you can't get to work, assuming you exercise some good faith and common sense. The policy is a little confusing at first glance but here it is in a nutshell:
Where I have heard of most people having problems with this policy is in the documentation phase. The burden of proof is on YOU to show that you met the requirements of the policy. It also says that if you have a demonstrated pattern of missed trips then you will lose the ability to use the policy (never heard of it happening). The company has to inform you in writing if you are no longer able to use the commuter clause.

Thanks. That seems more than fair. I guess you could just print out your "reservation" or screenshot whatever program you use.

It doesn't look to painful to commute from TUS-IAH. That's pretty good news. Now I just have to get the job...

The truth about commuting is that it sucks. It cuts into your time off and can get pretty stressful...especially if you're on a route that a lot of pilots commute along that is only served by 1-2 airlines. I commute and i wish i didn't...but where i live is too important for me to give up.

Most places have a commuter clause...I haven't had to use mine (yet) but I'm sure I will at some point. Sounds like XJT's is pretty decent. Do you guys have a limit on how many times a pilot can use that clause?

Worst comes to worst, cough into the phone and go back home ;)

No specific limit, it just says "a pattern of missed trips". My guess would be 4 per year, kinda like the sick calls. Not that you can't have more than 4 sick calls but after 4 you will have some 'splainin to do.

And believe the guy, or any guy, who tells you that commuting sucks. I don't know how many pilots commute out of TUS but you may have some competition.

Sounds about right. Us kids over at CHQ get 2 every 6 months...although I have no idea what happens if you use more than 2.

I know for XJT, after 4 sick calls in a 12 month period you will more than likely have to talk to a chief pilot and will require proof (doctor's note) of subsequent sick calls.

I work for XJT and commute from SLC-IAH, and it's difficult. I love this area, and dread the thought of moving to the stink hole that is IAH, but the commute is always on my mind on my days off and it's wearing on me quickly. I'm always having to worry about weather, watch the loads, etc. It's like a second job. I lose several days off each month trying to get to and from work. It would help if we had more flights outta here, but theres only 2 or 3 on CAL, and one or two on XJT, and all of them are usually full, especially in ski season. Lately I've been jumping to DEN then to IAH to get work. It sounds like there are more flights out of TUS, so maybe it won't be so bad for you. It's nice to have the commuter clause if you need it, but like someone said the burden is on you to document it. No doubt about it, commuting sucks a mountain of arse.

Rick's laws of commuting...

1) Single Leg Only
2) Multiple company/codeshare flights daily (3+)
3) At least one other airline (preferably SWA) with flights to your domicile. This keeps you out of trouble when one company flight cancels and the pax get rebooked on the later flights, filling all seats...then you get bumped out of the jumpseat by a mainline guy. If this happens RUN, do not walk to the SWA gates...senior company and mainline guys can bump you on company iron, but not on SWA...first come, first served! :D
4) Single Leg Only
5) If you live in Cali, beware the marine layer/ground fog...it can CLOSE the airport :eek:

I lost interest in CAL after I researched the IAH-Cali commute...brutal.

Is this on mainline flights, or on your company's flights? Here in HulasWorld, the only people who can bump TSA pilots are the Feds.

I guess some of the rest of you would disagree, but I enjoy my days off way too much to commute.

Mainline only. Most regionals give priority to their own people on company iron. I think UAL pilots have priority on mesa UAX flights, but not sure about it..

Commuting really sucks unless it is a short 1-leg commute.

My piece of advice is to get a crashpad for those early shows. And the late finishes when you can't get home afterwards.

My other piece of advice is to leave yourself lots of options. Check loads early and often. Check the weather 24 hours before your commute. If you know the weather will suck, causing delays, go early.

During your first (probationary) year you don't want to do anything which will raise eyebrows because your employment during your first year is pretty much 'at will'. Very little protection. So do almost anything to avoid telling the Crew Desk that you missed your commute.

Sounds like TUS-IAH is not that bad a commute. Can you drive it in a worst case scenario?

Rick's rules of commuting are pretty solid.

But I don't commute!!

The only time commuting is better than living in or near domicile is if you have a really short commute on flights where you pretty much are guaranteed to get on.

For a while I commuted from ATW (Appleton, WI) to ORD and it was easier than living near ORD. Door of the house to the crew room in ORD was no more than if I lived in the burbs of Chicago.

Haha, thats funny. Are you familiar with the size of Texas? You can FLY for 2 hours still not be across Texas!!!:D

Sorry. You are right. I had Houston misplaced. My bad!! :o

Thankfully, I only "need" to commute for the first year or so. I can see that this is going to consume a bunch of my time off.:(

It doesn't need to once you get off reserve. It is possible to build your schedule with trips that start late and end early so that you may only have to spend 1 or 2 nights a month in a crashpad or at a hotel in Houston. Of course even if you bid for the perfect schedule, there will always be the chance that you get delayed or the flights home are full, etc etc. I guess thats the cost you pay for the perk.

You'll figure it out soon enough. Just don't miss work because of a missed commute. Management pilots don't like that, especially from newer guys and gals. If you have 10 flights per day you should have no problems at all.

Does anybody know how commutable LAX to DEN is?

What airlines can you fly LAX-DEN???

American
Frontier (Denver is their major hub and LAX is a focus city)
United (Both Denver and LAX are major hubs)

United has 2000+ seats a day between LAX and DEN
6 Boeing 757's
3 Boeing 737/A320 sized aircraft
1 widebody Boeing 767
1 widebody Boeing 777

Even if ONLY United flew that route, you would be fine.

On top of that:
Frontier flies 6 A319's daily on that route.
American flies 4 MD-80's daily on that route.

Of all the commutes possible to be flown by airline pilots, LAX-DEN has to be on of the easiest.

Haha...so naive...:D

Commuting between an airline's hubs has got to be one of the toughest commutes out there. Sure, there are tons of seats between the two but there are also probably tons of pilots trying to make that same commute. So it would probably suck if you are offline and even online it will suck while you are junior.

Don't forget the Bur-Den flights too, and you pick up SKW that way too.

Burbank to Denver
Ontario to Denver
Orange County to Denver

When I went into college, I had lived my entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area and I went to school at the University of Colorado. I flew SFO-DEN nonrev about 20+ times a year (10 round trips). And I ONLY get to fly on United (no Frontier), and I DON'T get jumpseat privledges. The four years I was in college, I NEVER had a problem. NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER, NOT EVEN ONCE!!!

The first time was when I flew back to visit some friends this December 15th. Planned on staying until December 23nd. Then we had a major snowstorm that closed the airport for 3 days (20th, 21st, and 22nd). I didn't even try to get out on Saturday the 23rd (althought I probably could have). Woke up at 6am on the 24th, stood by for flights at:
6am to SFO
6:30 to LAX
7:20 to LAS
8:25 to SMF
8:40 to PHX

Got on the 8:40am flight to Phoenix. PAINLESS. The actual aircraft flew DEN-PHX-SFO. No getting off the airplane. No changing seat. PAINLESS.

Of all the nonrev flying I have done, hub to hub has been the easiest.
If you try to fly LAX-DEN and all the flights are full, you can connect to ANY city on the west coast. Here are some good options:
Drive to Burbank, then BUR-DEN
LAX-ONT-DEN
LAX-SNA-DEN
LAX-PHX-DEN
LAX-SAN-DEN
LAX-FAT-DEN
LAX-SBA-DEN
LAX-MRY-DEN
LAX-PSP-DEN
LAX-TUS-DEN
LAX-RNO-DEN
LAX-LAS-DEN
LAX-SFO-DEN
LAX-OAK-DEN
LAX-SJC-DEN
LAX-SMF-DEN
LAX-SLC-DEN
LAX-COS-DEN

And I am leaving out Oregon (PDX, EUG), Washington (SEA, Spokanne), Idaho (Boise), New Mexico (ABQ)...

Oh, lets not forget United's 3 class Boeing 777's flown on hub-hub routes. Have you ever sat in a United first class seat on a 3 class airpane. Most amazing seat I have ever seen on an aircraft.

I've had no problem commuting out of the Bay Area to IAH. SFO, OAK or SJC usually have something open, if not the bench up front.... worst case scenario, SMF isn't too far away to drive to get a seat either. It just really sucks losing that extra 10 hours off each trip going back and forth. :(