West Coast: bases, commuting & lifestyle
 

Well, Got a phone call today from a Dallas area code!!

From what I've read, the west is pretty junior right now. That's good for me as I'm living in SoCal and closest SW city is Burbank.
Strongly considering a move but for the time being I will be commuting out of Burbank.

Can anyone share their experience about the commute to their base?

If given the choice, what would be the best base to commute to?
I'm going to need to be picking up a LOT of flying the first year so that's a big consideration.


Thanks!!!

West coast is not junior. OAK is the most junior on the west coast, but not what it used to be. Prepare to go to BWI or MCO, possibly MDW on your first vacancy bids. OAK after a month or two. LAS, PHX, and DEN after 3-6 months, but may be longer. It all depends on staffing needs and how many people ahead of you are lined up. Bottom line, prepare for a cross country commute, at least right after training. It has been pretty common lately to see entire new hire class go to BWI. The good thing is the hiring should continue, so there will be movement. Expect reserve to last for a while, especially on the west coast. Welcome!

Commuting can be difficult based on start and end times. I used to commute from north of DAL to PHX. Due to PM schedules, commuting back to DAL was always on another carrier with a red eye or next day.

It's true that the west side isn't so junior anymore, but I'd look at LAS or OAK if you plan on commuting from BUR.

Especially the Friday afternoon flights from BUR-LAS!

I'd commute to oak. Good frequency. But no crahpads so most likely gotta do the hotel thing. $65/night. If that's too much LAS has cheap and easy crash pads. Barely any trips are commutable on both ends plus you'll be on reserve so that near impossible to commute both sides. Only chance would be PM reserve and if you don't get used last day you could go home.
I'd also commute for a bit if you really like living in SOCal. Rumor of an LAX base is floating around.
You'll have plenty of time to figure it out in ground school.
Congrats

Yes, congrats!

And also, don't forget we fly to SNA and LAX too.

... and ONT.

... and LGB


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At the last hiring fair, it was mentioned that DAL was pretty junior. Is that still the case? Are people able to get DAL pretty quick?

Any base other then ATL should be possbile within the first year, most likely within the first six months. What is most junior for your first bid is hard to predict, as it has been changing recently, but right now the above posters have the order correct. BWI, MCO, MDW, OAK have been award to new hires, with the more eastern bases more junior. However, based on the numbers for August, MCO will go much more senior.

Did the BUR-LAS commute for my first year. I haven't done a commute anywhere else so nothing to compare to but I thought it was pretty easy. Cheap parking at BUR, 6+ flights a day, only an hour flight, never didn't make a flight and seldom had to take the js. There are crash pads, I didn't have one, hotels are plentiful but can fill up or get really expensive on weekends especially if there's a big show in town. As guys mentioned flying pm's you rarely make the last flight back to BUR. Once or twice I went to LAX and uber'd to BUR but ended up regretting it. If you do am's the first flight won't get you there in time so you'll have to go the night before. You do meet some interesting people on the Friday going to vegas and the return on sunday:) Happy to help if you have specific questions.