I don’t know if you’re on the property, but if you aren’t... unlike at most airlines, here you can trade your reserve blocks with line holders or put them in giveaway. If someone picks them up, and nowadays they do get picked up or traded with line holders who aren’t commuters, you can then make up the difference at any domicile or any day of the month as if you were a line holder.

 

Agreed, and everything you suggest is basically free (swa IT issues not withstanding).



Also VPF should just pay 2x and all OT trips should be rigged.

 

Are we gonna talk about age 67 yet?????

 

Plan on 5 minutes per mile, commute time, when living anywhere near Pacific Coast Hwy. Palos Verdes to LAX can be well over 1 hr drive time for half the day. I live about 8 miles from LAX and at midnight it takes 18 min to get to terminal 1. During various times of the day it can take over an hour for that same 8 miles, even with a dropoff at the hyatt and walking the last 1/4 mile.

 

Let me allow Mr. Hat to speak for me on this topic.

https://youtu.be/VWqbqEHt03M



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Bid PM reserve, commutable on both sides to most places.

I have only flown PM commutable trips since May, there are plenty of them.

 

Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Beverly Hills?

What are you smoking? No problem if you're planning on 300 TFPs a month or plan on living in someone's garage.

 

Maybe his/her spouse is the primary breadwinner in their house.

Maybe they have a 1500 square foot home in the Bay Area or Hawaii that’s been paid off for generations.

As a former California family, we don’t care for those tax rates, nor do we care for their politics, nor do we see that the climate in SoCal is worth the overinflated price of real estate. But to each their own....

 

I'm being facetious. No, I'm not likely to live in Malibu or Beverly Hills!

But what I am is single, rounding third base in my career and already fairly financially secure. I love the climate there. I probably can live with the politics because I create my own happiness and don't rely upon politicians to create it for me. I don't agree with the politics in the state where I currently live but it doesn't destroy me. I'm going to be 52 in February and this life experience I've had, which has been amazingly rich, allows me to ignore the noise of the politicians and news channels and personalities who stir it up. Besides, maybe I'm OK with some California politics.....

I've got thirteen years to go if I make it to the current age limit. I'd like to upgrade here before I retire. In a couple short months I'll be on property for two years and on third year pay. I am still in shock to be here and feel incredibly fortunate to say I work for Southwest.

The only thing that is a concern is the overall cost of living. Yes, it's stupid expensive. But I also know people who make it work financially and they're in the same industry we are, sitting on the right seat at a major airline and I think I can do the same. It will require some downsizing, but as a single person, I can do that fairly easily. Less is more and a small condo might be the best option.

We are lucky to live in a nation with so much choice and variety and we are fortunate to work for a company with domiciles all over the country. I don't know that I'll end up in California but it's something I'd consider based on my experiences there and the friends I have who rave about it. The other place I wouldn't mind landing is DAL. Never travel for training again and bid sim seat support open time.... $$$ Plus, Dallas is a nice place and I really like everywhere I've been in Texas since I started at SWA. It's good to have options.

 

I'm a late 50's something California native so I think I know what I'm talking about. The OP didn't sound like he's already in Cali.