Average drive/commute time..
 

Curious how long of a drive and/or flight you guys do to get to work. I am looking at basically either a 5-7hr commute to work, or a 300mile interstate drive to base. The drive usually takes around 4-5hrs but will gain an hour on the way in. Is that totally unrealistic? I'm not going to move, so that's not an option. I am thinking the drive would be much less stressful than trying to make he commute via jumpseat+car ride. Just wondering what you guys have done, or if this is crazy of me to even consider. Thanks.

That drive may not sound that bad right now, but after 6 months of reserve or a crap schedule, it's going to suck. Don't be a sucker for the quick upgrade, go to an airline that has a commute you can live with if you get stuck there.

I fly on 2-3 flights and spend 5-10 hrs commuting each way. I don't really mind it, but If I lived 4 or so hours from domicile I would drive most of the time. It makes any trip commutable and takes any stress off. I know plenty of people who drive 3+ hrs to work.

I would gladly do that, but due to geographic location of where I live, that IS the closest option lol! Truth be known, I really want to get to a NetJets type operator eventually so I can be home based, but I need the multi turbine time to get there. No other options around here other than regionals.

Neither of those options is great. I admit, I got used to a 4 hr commute only by "Zenning out", which means mentally conditioning yourself to not care. Whatever happens, you just don't care. Of course, I commute in a day early, so that relieves me of a lot of stress, but the days away are not good for family life.

Are you planning to commute in, then go straight to work? After a 7 hrs of commuting, starting a long day of flying is going to be fatiguing. Driving in the previous day may be your best option. If you have a minivan, or camper, you could sleep inside and avoid hotel costs. Welcome to the "dream".

Where do you live?

Not sure if u will commute in same day or not. Guess show time will dictate that. If I drive in(4-5hrs) I would probably do it same day if not too early a show time. I have made the drive before when flying in the same area, but it was only every other weekend.

Things change and this career we have chosen is going through a period full of more change than normal. I picked my airline because of the ease of commute out of my home airport. 5 to 9 flights per day from JAX to CLT. Well that has recently been cut back. The remaining flights are almost always full, and my commute has become much more difficult in a matter of a few months. Things are changing. If you live in an outstation or a base served primarily by a regional, you could be in for a rude awakening when it comes to getting to and from work. I was on a mainline flight home and the mainline guys were saying how it has become really tough getting home sometimes. Because of RAH staffing problems and AAG deciding to cut back on mainline feed, now we have less service.

Looks like the safest, less stressful way is to drive. I have heard they are trying to pack as many paying folks into the flights as well. I flew this past week for vacation, and on the 4 different planes I was on, there were only 1-2 seats empty on each one. Did see 2 pilots in uniform with their wife's on one, so that's provably a few seats there. All in all though, the time spent getting to work is almost the same either way I look at it, with driving possibly a little shorter.

2:45 from door to the gate.

Being based close enough to drive was the main factor in choosing which regional to apply to.