Quote:
Originally Posted by Wahoo74
Can you elaborate a little on that? I too am getting ready to start and just trying to figure out which way to jump. 190 or Bus.. I live in South Florida so FLL is what would be great, but seeing you have to be on the Bus to get that, I am not sure which way to go. Commutable Line eventually, or figuring out how to get FLL and sit reserve forever.
As a JFK 190 FO I could have had a TON of FLL overnights. Even without bidding for them, I once had 7 in one month. Just something else to think about. And I also don’t know if those FLL pairings still exist.
To answer your question, the 190 fleet, especially on pairings that are in and out of JFK/BOS for 4 days, tend to get broken quite a bit with the operation being what it is. When there are EDCTs/delays/cancelations, often times 190 flights get hosed on a percentage basis more than 320/321s. And on a 3-4 leg day average, statistically there are a lot higher chances of a broken pairing, which often leads to additional pay. I often blocked 50-60% of what I credited, and ended up with premium pay a decent amount. On the bus I generally flew 1 leg a day, sometimes 2, and generally had way fewer delay/cancelations/disrupted pairings. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but it’s just a bit more rare.
As far as pay, year 2 is $120 vs $99. A lineholder 190 guy might make as much as a reserve bus guy with a bunch of premium. Year 3 $140 vs $114. Year 4 $151 vs $114. I wouldn’t stay on the 190 much past a year or 2 unless I wanted to just upgrade on it and minimize time at JBU.
If I lived in FLL and was starting tomorrow I’d be torn. I’d most likely bid the bus and try to be based at home ASAP via the system bid or a base trade. But if I got the 190, I wouldn’t care, and I would switch to FLL 320 FO at the first opportunity. If I commuted from MCO I’d go 190. If I commuted from the west coast I’d go 320. If I commuted from a non JB base to JFK/BOS I’d go 190 for a year or 2 until I could hold a line on the bus (or 220 eventually).