Reserve commute
 

First and foremost, I'm writing this to get some insight and help from you folks, so if you plan on sh*t talking, bickering, turning this into a flame thread on who flies for the better airline, get off my post, because as much as I am for people being upfront with truth, I'm not about the childish negativity.

Moving along...

Just received the conditional offer for Envoy Airlines and I plan on making the best of my experience.

As many have told me before, commuting to base can be a difficult task at hand.

I've researched and see what others have had to say but to tell you a little bit of what I'd like to do is this....

I'd like to move to Florida again. That's home for me.

But I'm fairly concerned about flights out of any airport out of Florida (Big 3) to either ORD or DFW may be a tight pinch when it comes to commuting.

Is it doable? Yes, I do believe so, but I've already asked myself at what expense.


My backup was to move back to ATL as well as I do believe there would be more flights out of ATL to either DFW or ORD depending on where I'm based (Also more people commuting I understand as well)


I suspect I'll be on reserve for a bit.As well.

Anyway, your thoughts, oponions and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

And once again, don't bring the hateraid if you're going to comment. I'd like to see you ladies and gents actingn little bit more civilized around here. We're a pilot group, a family and I think we forget that sometimes. So unite for once.

Why commute to reserve when you obviously don't mind moving? Even if it's just temporary? I'd just move to the base you are assigned to and make your life easy? You can always move to your dream city later.

If something/someone in Florida is important to you, you have the money to live in Florida or Atlanta, and you are single, why not live in base and "commute" home to see friends/family? This is a totally different job when commuting. The guys I fly with who commute are wiped out tired on day 1 (or they've missed another night at home), and stressed on go-home day. It can be done, but the quality of life hit is significant.

You bring up a good point. Ah you know at almost 30 single, you kinda (At least for me) just want to settle down build a foundation find the wife and things like that.

I guess another thing is, I don't know how long "Temporary" is. I wish we had more options for bases but hey it is what it is!

I know wherever I go to I'll make the best of it.

Is there an actual question or do you just want us to tell you what you want to hear? Don't commute for a regional, period. People that do have no life. Unless of course you have no life or loved ones to begin with. Then it's great.

I never thought of it that way. Thats a good way of thinking at it I guess. It's all about a QOL i know at the end of the day, which makes a ton of sense.

I guess my hope is maybe soon we get back a MIA base and all my dreams would come true! And maybe temporary won't sound so bad!

Advice, thoughts, opinions of the subject matter which you gave so I'm appreciative of what you have to say.

Also I don't want to hear what I want to hear, I'm well aware of the sacrifices that may very well have to be made.

I'm just hoping to hear from some fellow pilots that may be doing a similiar commute from Florida Airports to - DFW or Florida Airports- ORD as well and I can better decide on how I want to go about things.

I commute, and really haven't thought it to be too bad. Sure it has it's ups and downs. It's cost prohibitive for me to move to base anyways. Luckily my airline has short reserve time and I've moved up quickly in seniority which makes the whole thing a lot more tolerable.

If you don't mind me asking, whats your commute route?

Well, hope for the E175 in DFW. You will hold a line quickly within 1-2 months with off weekends.
That should make the commute easier!

I just posted this in another thread like a week ago but I'll put it here too. I'm Also at Envoy.

(Living in base is worth more than you can possibly imagine in time off, stress, and job satisfaction. Commuting is miserable and a waste of life. Even with a short commute you will waste at least 30 hours a month commuting. Waiting hours for flights after you finish work, getting bumped, waiting hours for the next flights, leaving home to commute to work 6+ hours in advance before your show time. That 2pm showtime would be great if you live in base, but since you commute it turns into leaving your house at 0500am for a commute and turns into 20+ hour day. Or imagine finishing a 4day trip at 4pm in the afternoon after an 11 hour duty day, but you can't just drive home like a normal person, you have to commute so you end up getting home at midnight and exhausted (another 20 hour day). This is the life of a commuter. Then you are Constantly worrying about getting a commutable schedule every month, and when you don't, being junior or on RSV, you end up commuting on your days off, so you basically get no days off for the month. RSV living in base, you get to sit at home when you don't get called. RSV living in base can be better than holding a line IMO. Commuting to RSV? Haha.. enjoy that hell.

Plus living in base gives you a lot of opportunity to make extra money if you need it anyway, since you are already there, if you want to drive in to pick up some 200% OT for a few hours one day, its easy to do. Drive in, Drive home. DOn't get called on RSV? Free paid day off to do your own thing if you are living in base.

Your family/friends won't even recognize you anymore because you will never be there as a commuter. I have spent over 7 years of my time at the regionals commuting to various bases across the country and I hated every second of this job when I was commuting. Every time I have lived in base, I actually start to like the job again.)

I commute from FL to ORD. It's double, but Im senior FO not on RSV.

I used to live in Ord for 2.5 yrs until I got tired of the cold WX. Living in base vs commuting is wayyy different.

Living in ord I used to hop on the Blueline and get to my apartment. Now I'm expending at least 10-12hrs extra a week commuting. I was Miami base, I could either drive or fly. It was awesome and it was about 3 hrs from my house to the gate.

Times changes and we might get back MIA. Hopefully...

Good luck, it's a good company.

If you have any questions about living in DFW vs ORD, just ask. You can likely pick whatever base you want. I have lived in both.

MCO-IAD

filler

As everyone has said, if you commute you will be miserable. I would pick a base in a city they currently run. Don't pick a place and hope it comes. From what I have heard from pilots jumping on my planes is if mia comes back it will go super senior and most likely you will not get in that base for sometime anyways and still end up commuting.

As a example for when I was thinking of Republic awhile back and hoping for the mia base I was told at best it would be 1 year that I would get it after joining.

Go where your happy and this whole regional job thing will not make you rage quit when you don't get to home after a ******** trip...

Guys thanks for all the feedback and replies, you've all been a great help.

My buddy said it best "Chicago is the Miami of the north" Which in many senses is true.

I actually like Chicago quite a lot. Not too fond of winters these days though, but oh well.

I do have a bike and may quite possibly be purchasing a second one and maybe I'll just have one stay in Florida and commute there to visit as one of you guys were saying.


I feel like there might be more to do in the Chi than in Dallas but who knows...

I had the easiest commute. PHX to ONT. Flights every hour to and from. I was short call reserve a year prior to being furloughed... That said, commuting still was horrible. Sitting in a crash pad with 7 other guys waiting to be called, while my wife and kids were in another state was too much. Do yourself a favor and move to your base.....

Chicago is a lot more of a fun city with a lot more to do all the time but it does cost more to live there. More activities, more events every week, summertime always has something going on, Chicago sports/social is great year round with co-ed sports leagues being huge there. Fanatical sports city. Many different neighborhoods around the city with different vibes but all right next to each other and walkable, endless supply of fun non-generic places to hang out, No car needed, easy public transit around the city and to the airport via the blue line. You can walk or bike anywhere, you won't be doing that in DFW lol. North Beach in the Summer. More active city by far if you like to keep in shape and that kind of thing.

Dallas is better if you like strip malls, the Dallas Cowboys, chain restaurants, fire ants, driving forever to do just about anything, generic chain bar/grills, or have a family and want to live in a nice house in cookie cutter suburbia for cheap. Uptown/Deep Ellum and part of Ft Worth are ok for fun areas but they are small isolated areas and equivalent to ORD housing prices to be in those areas. There is literally nothing to do in DFW if you live in a suburbia area (which is 95% of the huge sprawling area) but sit around with others and drink beer, watch football and go out on the lake occasionally if you or a friend has a boat. There are some really pretty girls around DFW but the ones in ORD are much friendlier and not as stuck up and materialistic, IMO.

Single, Active = Chicago
Family ready to settle down in suburbia and put the kids in a good school = DFW

I miss Chicago. Winters are long and it sucks, but you can still have fun at least, just indoors. lol.

Chi town it is. I think you sold me.

Early 30's and single.. easy choice! :cool:

Wicker Park/Division/Bucktown area around Milwaukee/Damen/North ave intersection is a great area for someone that works at the airport. Walk just steps to the Damen Blue line, 35 minutes you are in the terminal. Super easy to get anywhere you would want to go from there, tons of restaurants, bars, nightlife right there within a few blocks. Walkable, or super easily bikable to North beach and park areas for sports at Lakeshore Dr down North ave, just a few stops on the train to get downtown. Easy bus trip over to Lincoln Park area and Old Town, but still closer and much easier to get to work without a double train connection.. Lots of the Eagle guys do Chicago Sports and social club leagues. We did Football, Softball, Indoor sand volleyball in the winter, beach volleyball in the summer, kickball. All teams sponsored by a local bar so after the games you all meet up at the bars afterwards. They usually provide some appetizers and a few free pitches to the teams after the games. It's a great way to make friends and meet cute girls there if you join the co-ed leagues. Tons of ex college, young professionals that move to the city are involved. Lots of ex college athletes looking to stay active. They take their sports seriously in Chicago, this is no joke!! lol. I have not seen anything similar anywhere near as popular or fun in any other city.

Please go to ORD, one less Envoy guy bumping me off the jumpseat. Things could be much worse, you could be at a non wholy owned trying to commute on AA.

You literally just summed up perfectly why I'm leaving DFW for Chicago in a few months once I hit 1500.

Reserve commute
 

I was looking at moving to the Lakeview area. I know it's not on the blue line but I figure since I only have to make the commute once or twice a week it wouldn't be a complete headache. Thoughts? Should I look closer to the blue line?

Except for the women. Unless if you like cold, fat girls.

I commuted for over two years to a regional. With that being said I have recently moved to my base and it was the best decision I have made in this business. Regionals aren't worth the stress of commuting

I lived there, right on the lake. Live near one of the main west/east streets to catch a bus over to the blue line. Normal days took me one hour. It can be a pain waiting for the bus in the cold of winter but hey there is an app for that, cta trackers. Really you can live anywhere in Chicago and get to the airport in under 90 min, the public transit is that good. Loved living there but wifes job....back to commuting.

How practical is a two leg commute on reserve?

I'd rather work at the airport scrubbing toilets than a 2 leg commute to reserve. Have you no self respect?!

Personally, I would prefer to be closer or further South than Lakeview just knowing the area and what I prefer for neighborhoods. But it is definitely doable to Ohare if you live close to a bus route that goes direct to the blue line stop. I had a girlfriend for over a year in Wrigleyville, a block from Wrigley Field (which is a part of Lakeview area) so I was going to/from the airport from her place sometimes. It's a bit of a hassle and I never liked doing it.

You have two options, you can take the bus to the blue line, I took the Addison ave bus, to the Addison Blue line stop. Took about an 1:00-1:05, just depends if you get perfect timing on a bus/train or not. Annoying to have to ride the bus during rush hours though with luggage. Imagine a bus "packed" full of people going to/from work and you have to carry all your luggage on there. Train is the same but much easier than the bus.

Or you can ride the Red line into downtown and transfer to the Blue line. This takes a little longer. Maybe 1:10-1:15. I never really did this much. Red line doesn't run as often it seems and I would always just barely miss the other train leaving at the transfer and I would have to wait like 15 minutes to transfer.

If you are commuting for a line, twice a week, no big deal but Reserve though with a 2 hour call out. Makes a big difference to live closer. You "may" have to go in and back every day sometimes, plus with only 2 hours notice you aren't nearly as rushed and can handle a delay easier, if the train breaks or stops for 15-20 minutes (happens sometimes). If you have a car, disregard and it doesn't matter. Parking in Chicago without a reserved dedicated parking space is a nightmare though, just a warning.

Places I would avoid are living near the Blue line anywhere between ORD-Belmont stops. They aren't good areas. You have to go all the way to Logan Sq before it starts to get Ok, that area is transitioning to a better area, then it gets better as you get closer to the city, Damen, Division areas are really nice but more $$$, then the train goes underground into downtown $$$. My friends in Lakeview always had to come meet us further south, we never went up there much. It's not that it's "that" far, but for some reason most people just never want to take the trek up to Lakeview unless going to a Cubs game.. Outside of Wrigleyville bar areas, not that much going on up there. Lakeview is not a bad area, just more dead IMO, which is good for people who like that or maybe married. I guess (Boys-town) is in Lakeview also if you are into that kind of thing..

You obviously have never been to any good area of Chicago which is very similar to NYC for gorgeous women walking around everywhere.

Some of my neighbors were Victoria secret/Ford Models. Hideously fat and disgusting lol. :rolleyes:

In Minneapolis, they are cold, but not fat :p

Absolute truth.