Commuting
 

When you are a pilot for a regional or even major, do all of the airlines allow you to commute to work instead of living where you are domiciled at? IE domiciled Orlando living in Seattle?

That's a correct statement, Bravo. I can't think of a single part 121 airline where you must live in your domicile. Happy commuting!

What about the new hires on "reserve" and the time quota needed to make your plane?

example; from, comair's web site
RESERVE:

New Pilots are assigned to reserve flying and must be available to fly on a 14-hour standby basis when on reserve. While on reserve, pilots must be able to report to work with a minimum of 90 minutes notice. Reserve pilots can plan on 11 to 12 days off a month, and will be on reserve for the first 10 to 14 months of employment

It's pretty much impossible for a pilot on reserve to commute unless you live less than 100 miles from base and can drive it. If you have 90 to 120 minutes from the phone call until you must report, that doesn't leave you any time to catch a flight, esp if the flight from you home takes at least that much time! My call out is 2 hours and I live 114 miles from my base. Even when I had all my stuff in the car ready to go, I barely made it. (Los Angeles traffic at the wrong time of day would easily make my normal 1:45 minute drive into a 2:30 trip.)

Even on days off, you will only get a half day at home if you commute coast to coast on 2 days off. My reserve was a 5 on, two off w/ one block of 4 days off per month. It was almost impossible to go home on two day weekends as the commute was 7-8 hours from door to door. By the time you get home, you needed to leave the next morning to be back at work on time for your next reserve day. Waiting till the last flight isn't an option if loads are tight as you MUST get there. Once you are off probation, many carriers have a 'commuter policy' that allows you X number of missed assignments per year due to full flights preventing you from getting to base, but as a newbie on reserve you won't have that luxury!

get a cheap appartment and furnish it with fedex boxes! Hell, move the family to you and let them share the joy of fedex furniture w/ you...

Base
 

There are a few companies that require but don't enforce their employees to live at their base. Commuting is no fun and it can reduce your days off significantly.

SkyHigh

ExpressJet's reserve time
 

Anyone have any information on how long reserve would take to time-out at ExpressJet? I am seriously considering applying and I just want some feedback on the airline and it's policies/expectations/etc.
Best Regards,
Jason Leonard

I've been on reserve 6 months. Probably another 2 before I can hold a relief line here in IAH. My friends from my newhire class that went to CLE or EWR are all line holders, and have been for the last 2 months. I chose Houston so that I could buy a house.

Reserve isn't that bad. Houston seems to have the best selection of trips. Plus I live 15 minutes from the airport, which makes my commute a non-event. Life is good.