LumberJack

Really good info here. I did the ORD-MDW shuffle for a few months and it was absolutely the worst few months of my commuting years.

Lyft/Uber/Cab between airports is :45 to 1:15 and $50
Blue Line to Orange line is 1:15

Problem is, those times are from butt in seat to destination. Waiting for the cab or Lyft isn't a long wait generally, but sometimes it is, and when you're in a time crunch it's stressful. Same for the trains. They run every 7 minutes at peak times, 15 minutes off peak, and the last Orange leaves MDW at 1:05am to resume at 4:00am. The connection downtown is a pain with bags as you have to go through turnstiles and make your way from elevated to subway or vice versa. Add in the surprisingly common delays (10 minutes wasn't unusual, missed connection adds another 10 minutes) and the long walk from train to gate at both airports (another 12 minutes for each airport if you HUSTLE and the KCM is open and empty). I planned for 2.5 hours to absorb delays and save my hammies.

I've even heard of guys falling asleep on the Orange leaving MDW, and waking up back at MDW. You can't totally zone out or it's easy to miss your stop. (Just more added stress)

If I hadn't been a regional FO, I would have paid the cab fare every time. So that's $100 a week for the convenience of Chicago traffic...

All this and now you only have 3 flights, maybe 4 on a different carrier, in a city that is frequently delayed. You're giving up half a day on either side at best.

It really is about as bad a commute as there is. I'd rather do a FedEx night sort where at least my seat is guaranteed.

If you take it on, just know that it's not sustainable.

sherpster

See if you get hired first. Take the job and see if it works. You are worried about stuff way down the line. I commute to NYC and commuting isnt all that bad. Jam a couple of 3 days together, take a day off for 117, and jam a couple of more 3 days together and boom you might be done for the month. SWA guys only work 12 days a month-right?
I am not a SWA guy but I am sure you can minimize the commute pain. Get the job first because that call may never come.

Squallrider

Commuting sucks but southwest guarantees 15 days off on reserve where other carriers it’s 12, that helps

RckyMtHigh

Apparently 6% increase in commutable lines for January, company shooting for 12% increase system-wide for February.

MoovenUP

Thank you for the input, I did the commute to ORD and it really wasn't too bad. But a different company and commute to MDW is a whole new ball game. Some of you pointed out I don't have the job yet, SWA pilots already know they got an email asking for recommendations. I don't want to take a recommendation unless I feel confident in being a good employee. I want my next carrier to be my last, and I want to be honest with my friends there, the company, and my family. This commute really isn't possible. Once again, thank you for those who took the time, and thank you for some angles and information I had not thought of SWA specific. It is an excellent airline with excellent people.

PowerShift

My commute to MDW was about the same as you propose. IT SUCKED. I planed 2 hours from the time I got of the plane in ORD to sitting in the easy chair in the crew lounge. I always took the train, as traffic was too big a variable to deal with.

“Next stop, Clark and Lake”.

ZapBrannigan

Guess I’m the opposite. My offline commute wasn’t bad. There were ten flights a day between my home and DFW airport. I rarely got bumped but I was very conservative and gave myself lots of options. I used the Loadshare group on Facebook to get the loads ahead of time and pick the most likely flights. It did take more time away from home but low stress.

The train between DFW and Love Field took about 45 minutes and cost $2.50. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Market Center because it was walking distance to a train station. Medical Center Station also had a Kroger and a few restaurants. So thanks to light rail I never needed a car in town.

We only moved to domicile to gain back that one day per week I was losing to the commute. Honestly though we all miss the town we used to live in, and if commutable lines ever become a reality we would consider a move back.


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ShyGuy

Different airline, just want to reiterate the guy who said there are commutes and then there are commutes! Online station with less than a 1 hr flight to base with 6+ flights/day on own metal? That’s one thing. Commute across time zones, that ages and kills you that much sooner. Look at Sully at age 58 when the accident happened. He looked at least 70. He did 16 yrs transcon commute. As much as I don’t want to, I’ll be moving to base in the Republic of Tax your Texts.

at6d

You sure? LOL. We got PHX and LAS too! Until they all sell their CA homes and move here with their politics.

CaptYoda

Any idea on the class drops for the Dec 2018 class?