Albief 15 makes some good points. However, it's (dare I say) not all about money. Knowing every month you can be home for whatever it may be (anniversary, kids birthday/event, family event, holiday, you name it) & not have to go through "if I can get this line..., if I can arrange my training..., if I call in sick will I get in trouble".......It all comes down to priorities. Does money (& perhaps ego) lure you to chase the next higher paying seat mean more to you than reducing your stress level & knowing every month your chances are way better of being a father & be able to attend whatever is going on at home by staying senior in a lower paying seat than hoping all the holes in the Swiss cheese line up? It never has been for me. Stay senior in a lower paying seat (especially if you're a commuter), dramatically reduce your stress level, be present for family events, control your expenses.....you'll come out the other end way happier.....IMHO.

Related question in the commuting arena...Does anyone have any experience basing out of MEM but living in Little Rock? I think that's a two hour drive. Can you sit reserve at home with that, or is it too far by just that much?

Unfortunately it’s too far. 1.5 hours to get to the airport.

If we could negotiate a wider reserve radius (3 hours?) for even 50% of our reserves the property values in Oxford, Little Rock, and a bunch of other places would probably pop big time.

What happens if you deviate and the flight cancels? I'm in DFW and AA cancels flights like there's no tomorrow.

As long as you had a good plan and a backup when you started, and keep the schedulers/Duty Officer in the loop you will loose the pay but that is usually it. If I deviate on a big paying trip I will try to catch up with the scheduled in Dallas. Than it becomes the companies problem.

We need to change this on the next contract so we are covered on deviations as well.

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The Union response will be “The Company Will Never Go For That” they drew a line in the sand.

If the union actually knew what the company would go for and not go for, it would make negotiating a one hour affair.

Most of that is just trying to manage expectations.