Hello

Can somebody share their commute details they do here, from where they start, what airline they use etc. Just some all around advice for a first time commuter-to-be would be greatly appreciated. I currently live on the west coast and realize that isn't the best option at the moment, but for the time being I must for family reasons. I plan on eventually getting an apartment in base for a few years until I move on.

Do most people use mainline to commute? Somebody mentioned here that you get bumped off those flights alot as a commuter, due to them being full/ more pilots from that company taking priority. How would you go about setting yourself up for the best option. Try to live near an airport with the most amount of flights to your base to increase your chances?

Seriously, which of these seem TO YOU would be an easy commute, even from a MAJOR West Coast city? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done my share of remote tours, but there was a war on. Are neither Horizon, Skywest, or even Mesa hiring?

Supplying info as to where you are planning to commute from will help provide better information. The “west coast” is rather broad.
However, non hub to hub commute would likely allow a slightly easier commute, even if there are fewer flights available.

For example, LAX-ORD (not that you’d make that base outta training) you will see many more AA/UA mainline employees versus SFO-CMH.

For reference, trying to go MIA-ORD I have seen 777’s & 787’s oversold with 20+ non-revs/jumpseaters listed.

Seriously disagree. There are relatively few hubs actually ON the west coast. LAX, SFO, and SEA, LAS, if you consider Nevada to be “West Coast.” With those exceptions, the actual FREQUENCY of airline flights to the East Coast or even to ORD from even places like PDX or other non hub will be low and many if those will involve regionals for at least one of two legs. Transcontinental commutes suck, but two leg transcontinental commutes REALLY suck. And if one of those legs depends on a low frequency regional connection you are at high risk to having to add a full day extra (with crashpad or hotel room costs) AT BOTH ENDS to each and every duty period even once you are senior enough to hold a line.

Unless you are within driving distance of one of the three (or four if you count LAS) big west coast hubs, you don’t want a transcontinental commute. You damn sure don’t want a two leg commute.

Log on to PASSRIDER.COM and run a few scenarios using your airlines commuter policies. . You’ll quickly find out just how ugly it will be.

"commuting?"

NOPE

Commute on whatever you need to. FedEx has a hub at the Indy airport. And then there's mainline and ULCC.

I think it may be hard to do two long leg commutes so I would consider moving closer is too a base

So here’s an example:

Say you live within driving distance of Sacramento since you are a NorCal guy, and you get assigned to EWR. There is ONE (1) direct flight daily to EWR.

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Except you need two potential flights that will get you there on time, meaning you are either going to be taking a two leg commute or at least showing up at the airport in time that you COUKD take a two leg commute, which basically means adding AT LEAST 8-12 hours of commuting preceding every duty period and then depending on not getting bumped along the way.

I seriously disagree with your serious disagreement... and that's okay if we have had different experiences. Hence, why I stated providing additional information would yield better results for the question seeker. While I do live in base, I do travel regularly between a major mainline hub and a large, non-hub airport 2-3 times a month which is serviced by multiple mainline flights (the number varies depending on the season). While I have occupied the JS often, I have never missed a flight back (out of the hub) due to no seats available and I rarely see more than 2 pilots on the flight that would bump me out of the JS. This experience would be vastly different if it were hub to hub... which is the point I was trying to make.

The gentleman lives in Northern California. Outside of the three (arguably four) “west coast” bases, he has almost no chance of getting any sort of reasonable frequency of direct flights to East Coast bases. The example I cited is for Sacramento, the capital of California, our most populous state, and tomorrow it has only one (1) direct flight to EWR.

I’ll give you another example, DCA.



Sacramento has NO direct flights to DCA at all. Your experience may be entirely different, but is your experience trying to get out of a nonHub airport on the West Coast to one of the East Coast bases that he might very well be assigned to? Not saying it is impossible but I am saying it’s damn difficult. IIRC the FO of the Buffalo mishap (Colgan 3407) was a commuter out of SEA which IS a major hub and the mishap board found her fatigue as a probable cause. A two leg transcontinental commute is simply a real bad idea. If it works for you, more power to you but I sure wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Fair enough, I missed he was in Northern CA and close to Sacramento. Yes, it’s gonna be more than just a struggle, I agree. Hopefully it’s short lived as he plans to be in FL soon. Which will bring a new set of challenges.

To the OP… you really need to look this over. I understand RPA is the only carrier to offer a class date but you really do not know what you’re in for.